Kurdistan is renowned for its dairy products, one of which is Meyra, sometimes referred to as Meyra cheese. According to the owner of a dairy business in Erbil’s Sheikh Alla market, ninety percent of Meyra buyers are elderly individuals. Additionally, there is a strong market for local yogurt, cheese, and blue cheese (Zhazhi), all of which are popular dairy products.
The offerings include butter, Zhazhi, Kurdish cheese, and homemade Meyra, all sourced from Khoshnawati. Meyra from Eastern Kurdistan is also available in Erbil markets, and they all share a similar flavor profile. The quality of Meyra improves with enhanced grazing practices and better animal husbandry. It is well known among the elderly and those who have lived outside the city; by tasting Meyra, they can assess its quality and determine if the animals were raised on healthy pasture.
The highly sought-after Kurdish yogurt, cheese, and butter are already abundant in Kurdish markets, including supermarkets. Meyra from cows costs 10,000 dinars per kilogram, while sheep’s milk is significantly more expensive and scarcer, priced at 27,000 dinars. This price disparity can be attributed to both the increasing scarcity and growing popularity of sheep’s milk. In Erbil, a ton of Meyra is sold daily, and data suggests that more people are increasingly turning to it.
Although the exact quantity of yogurt produced and sold in Kurdistan each day remains unknown, reliable data is expected to be available soon. Many villages have transformed into small yogurt factories, shipping their products to urban areas. Zhazhi, a white dairy product commonly consumed at breakfast, is in high demand alongside yogurt. The Qaysari market in Erbil serves as the primary hub for these products, boasting a large consumer base.