Make some cheese

Here’s the plan: first, we’re off to the farm – to admire the happy cows and to learn about young homemade cheeses. Then, to a master class to make cheese ourselves and then, to the Cheese Exchange: Parmesan, Roquefort, Beaufort, Old Kostroma, Romanov, cheddars, young and soft cheeses – your fridge will be packed!

Finally, we’ll pay a visit to the restaurant – they sure know what to do with all this cheesy goodness…

How to make some cheese in Kostroma

🤓 You should start with the ‘Cheese&Chocolate’ master class held right in the middle of the city by a chef named Elena: in an hour and a half, you’ll learn how to make delicious young cheese according to an original recipe – and take it home with you;

🐮 Pay a visit to the farm, where you can meet happy cows and try some farm fresh, young (and not so) craft/homemade cheese;

🏦 The Cheese Exchange in the city center is a great opportunity to try the whole range of Kostroma cheese. It’s your chance to take a little bit of everything with you;

🍽 And finally – restaurants: both ‘Syrovar’ (‘Cheesemaker’), with its unrivaled fondue, and ‘Groza’ (‘Thunderstorm’), with its astonishing way of serving their unique dishes, will surely impress you!

Amazing cheese science

Since the end of the 19th century, Kostroma cheese has transformed from an inaccessible delicacy into a renowned everyday treat, has made a move from homemade production to factories and industrial production and has turned Kostroma from the region’s capital into the cheese capital of the whole country. 

Although the cheese business was established in Russia relatively recently, at the end of the 19th century, these lands have long been considered suitable for agriculture, especially livestock. And before cheese, local farmers actively produced a wide variety of other dairy products. 

The Kostroma landscapes are considered ideal for Central Russia thanks to their vast floodplains near the local rivers and green plains adjacent to forests. Add to this Kostroma’s moderate population and the absence of numerous and harmful industries – and you get a paradise for happy cows, farmers and cheesemakers!