Smoked Sulguni: taste, calories, what to eat it with

Short answer: smoked Sulguni is a Georgian brined cheese that, after smoking, develops a firm rind, a golden colour and a smoky flavour. It’s the top “beer” snack of the post-Soviet world: salty, smoky, shaped as braids, sticks or balls. Fresh Sulguni has about 290 kcal per 100 g, snEco dried — 547 kcal, but with 52 g of protein. It’s eaten with beer, in salads and hot dishes, while the dried version is a crunchy snack that needs no fridge.

What Sulguni is and how it’s smoked

Sulguni is a cheese from Samegrelo in western Georgia, from the family of “stretched-curd” cheeses (like mozzarella and caciocavallo): the curd is heated and stretched, so it becomes layered and springy. Fresh Sulguni is white, salty, slightly tangy and stored in brine. Smoked Sulguni is the same cheese aged in wood smoke: the rind hardens and darkens, a smoky note develops inside, moisture decreases and the cheese keeps better. Braids, sticks and “cigars” are the shapes the cheese is braided or rolled into before smoking.

What it tastes like and what to eat it with

Calories and ingredients

Fresh smoked Sulguni: roughly 20–22 g protein, 22–24 g fat, 290–300 kcal and 2–3 g salt per 100 g. snEco dried smoked Sulguni is a water-free concentrate: 52 g protein, 40 g fat, 2 g carbohydrates, 547 kcal and 6 g salt per 100 g. A 28 g pack has 14.6 g protein, 153 kcal, 1.7 g salt. Together with Blue Royale, it’s the saltiest flavour in the range and the best “beer” one, and third in protein after SUPERFOOD and Primaggio. Ingredients: cheese (pasteurised cow’s milk, salt, starter culture, enzyme), no flavourings. Full table — dried cheese calories.

Why dried smoked Sulguni is handier than a braid

• Doesn’t dry out or get sticky. A braid turns rubbery after an hour on the table; dried sticks stay crunchy all evening.
• No fridge needed. 18 months in the cupboard versus two weeks in the fridge.
• Twice the protein for the same weight — there’s no water.
• Clean ingredients. Store-bought braids often contain vegetable fat and preservatives; here it’s just cheese.

snEco formats

Mini pack 14 g for the road, 28 g pack for the evening, Sulguni + peanut mix 20 g — a beer pairing in one pack, 500 g pack for groups and bars, box of 15 packs to stock up. Other flavours — range guide.

Questions and answers

How many calories are in smoked Sulguni?

Fresh — about 290 kcal per 100 g, snEco dried — 547 kcal, but with 52 g of protein; a 28 g pack — 153 kcal.

Which beer goes with smoked Sulguni?

Porter, stout and dark lager — the smoke pairs with the roasted malt.

Does dried Sulguni contain smoke flavouring?

No, the only ingredient is cheese: milk, salt, starter culture, enzyme.

What to try

Dried snEco Cheese “Sulguni”, 28 g €3.13 Dried snEco Cheese Mix “Sulguni + Peanut”, 20 g €1.97 Dried snEco Cheese “Sulguni”, 500 g €33.30

Author: Pylyp Gryshyn, co-founder of snEco, head of production