8 Best Sulguni Cheese Substitutes

The best Sulguni cheese substitute is low-moisture mozzarella mixed with a small amount of feta, which recreates Suluguni’s melt, stretch, and tangy-salty flavor better than any single cheese on its own.

I have to be upfront about something: the original version of this article said Sulguni comes from Italy. That is completely wrong, and I want to correct the record before anything else.

Sulguni (also written Suluguni) is from the Republic of Georgia, the country in the Caucasus between the Black Sea and the Caspian Sea. It has absolutely no Italian connection.

Getting that right matters because it changes how you think about substitutes. This is a Georgian cheese with a Georgian role to play, and the right swap depends on what you are actually making.

Key Takeaways

• Actual Suluguni is available online through RussianFoodUSA and Instacart if you want the real thing
• Low-moisture mozzarella plus a small amount of feta is the most accurate overall substitute
• For khachapuri specifically, use 2 parts whole-milk mozzarella to 1 part feta or dry cottage cheese
• Halloumi is the best swap for grilling and frying since it holds its shape the same way Suluguni does
• Havarti covers the mild melting applications but lacks Suluguni’s characteristic tang
• Provolone and Oaxaca cheese both capture Suluguni’s stretchy pasta filata texture
• Mozzarella alone works but misses the salt and tang that make Suluguni taste like Suluguni

What Is Sulguni Cheese?

Sulguni (pronounced “sool-GOO-nee,” also written Suluguni) is a brined, stretched-curd cheese from the Samegrelo region of the Republic of Georgia. Its first known written mention appears in a 17th-century Georgian dictionary, making it one of the oldest documented cheeses in the Caucasus region. Georgia protected it as a geographical indication in January 2012.

The flavor is sour, moderately salty, and milky with a slightly tangy finish. The texture is elastic and layered, similar to mozzarella but firmer and with more bite. In Georgian, the name is sometimes broken down as suli (soul) and guli (heart), which tells you something about how much the country cherishes this cheese.

It comes in three main forms: fresh white (the most common), smoked (shebolili, golden-brown, firmer), and braided or string forms. All three have the same fundamental stretch-and-melt character that makes Suluguni essential to Georgian cooking.

Sulguni and Georgian Cheese

Suluguni is the most famous of Georgia’s dozens of traditional cheeses. The country has one of the world’s richest cheese cultures, with other well-known varieties including Imeruli (fresh, mild, often used alongside Suluguni in khachapuri), Guda (harder, aged), Tenili (pulled into fine threads), Chechil (braided and smoked), and Dambalkhacho (pungent, dried).

Most US grocery stores carry none of these. If you are cooking Georgian recipes, tracking down Suluguni specifically is what this article is about.

What Is Khachapuri and Why Does the Cheese Matter?

Khachapuri is the most famous Georgian dish, a cheese-filled bread that has multiple regional versions. The cheese is not a topping or a garnish here. It is the filling, the flavor, and the whole point of the dish.

The three most common styles are Imeruli (round, cheese stuffed inside), Megruli (stuffed inside and melted on top, like a Georgian stuffed-crust pizza), and Adjaruli (boat-shaped with egg and butter added on top). Each traditionally uses Suluguni, Imeruli cheese, or a blend of both.

When neither is available, Georgian recipe authors and home cooks consistently reach for a 2:1 blend of whole-milk low-moisture mozzarella and feta. The mozzarella handles the melt and stretch; the feta handles the salt and tang. Some recipes add a spoonful of ricotta or dry cottage cheese for a creamier filling.

8 Best Sulguni Cheese Substitutes

1. Low-Moisture Mozzarella + Feta Blend

A blend of whole-milk low-moisture mozzarella and feta is the gold standard Suluguni substitute among Georgian and Eastern European home cooks. Use two parts mozzarella to one part feta, mix well, and you have something that genuinely mimics Suluguni’s melt, stretch, salt, and tang in a single mixture.

The mozzarella is in the same pasta filata (stretched curd) family as Suluguni, so the melt behavior is nearly identical. The feta brings the briny, salty character that mozzarella alone cannot replicate.

Galbani Whole Milk Low-Moisture Mozzarella 16oz is the mozzarella I use for this blend. Pair it with 365 by Whole Foods Feta Block 16oz for the tangy component and you have a khachapuri-ready mixture.

Best for: Khachapuri (all styles), melted dishes, pizza, elarji/polenta

2. Low-Moisture Mozzarella Alone

If you do not have feta, plain whole-milk low-moisture mozzarella is still the closest single-cheese substitute. The stretch, the melt, and the mild dairy flavor are all in the same family as Suluguni.

The limitation is that mozzarella is noticeably blander and less salty. Add a pinch of extra salt to any dish and taste as you go. Fresh mozzarella is too wet for this application and will make your khachapuri soggy, so make sure it is the low-moisture block.

Best for: Khachapuri, pizza, melted dishes, any recipe needing a stretchy melt

3. Halloumi

Halloumi is the right substitute when Suluguni is being grilled or fried rather than melted. Both cheeses are semi-firm and brined, and both handle high heat without turning into a puddle. That high melting point is exactly what you need for pan-fried cheese slices or grilled skewers.

The flavor of halloumi is slightly chewier and more rubbery than Suluguni when fresh, but the salty, squeaky, firm texture is genuinely close. Do not use it in khachapuri or any recipe where you need the cheese to melt smoothly.

Grillies Halloumi Cheese 8.8oz is an authentic Cypriot halloumi that holds its shape perfectly on the grill and in the pan.

Best for: Grilling, frying, high-heat applications, cheese skewers

4. Provolone

Provolone is a stretched-curd Italian cheese in the same pasta filata family as Suluguni and mozzarella. It melts beautifully, has a mild to moderate tang depending on age, and pulls apart in that satisfying stringy way that makes Suluguni so satisfying.

Young provolone (dolce) is milder and creamier; aged provolone (piccante) has more bite. For a Suluguni replacement, the aged version gets you closer to the salty-tangy character.

Best for: Melting, khachapuri, pizza, baked dishes, sandwiches

5. Oaxaca Cheese

Oaxaca is a Mexican stretched-curd cheese that behaves almost identically to Suluguni in terms of texture. It comes in a ball of woven, stringy cheese, melts smoothly, and has a mild, milky, lightly salty flavor.

It is widely available at Mexican grocery stores and most large supermarkets in the US. For any dish where the pull and stretch of Suluguni matters, Oaxaca is one of the most satisfying swaps.

Best for: Melting, quesadilla-style applications, pizza, any dish where the stretch is the point

6. Havarti

Havarti is a Danish semi-soft cheese with a mild, buttery flavor and an excellent melt. It does not have Suluguni’s tang or saltiness, but it goes smooth and creamy in warm dishes without any stringiness or separation.

I think of Havarti as the no-drama melting substitute when I am not trying to match Suluguni’s specific character. For sandwiches and mild cooked dishes where the cheese plays a supporting role, it works well.

Havarti Cheese is the top seller in its Amazon category, confirmed in stock. It is the most accessible grocery store swap for straightforward melting.

Best for: Grilled cheese, sandwiches, mild cooked dishes, any application where a smooth melt is needed

7. Feta Alone

Block feta on its own covers the salty, briny, tangy dimension of Suluguni when the cheese does not need to melt. For fresh eating, salads, and cold applications, feta is the most accurate flavor match.

The limitation is texture. Feta does not stretch or melt the way Suluguni does, so it is only the right call for cold dishes. Use it in combination with mozzarella for cooked applications.

Best for: Salads, cold applications, fresh eating, cheese boards

8. Ricotta or Dry Cottage Cheese

Ricotta and dry cottage cheese are supporting players rather than standalone substitutes. By themselves they are too mild and wet to replace Suluguni. Blended into a mozzarella and feta khachapuri filling, they add a creamy body that some Georgian cooks specifically prefer.

Use a small amount, roughly one part ricotta or cottage cheese to two or three parts mozzarella, and taste as you go. The cottage cheese version needs extra salt since cottage cheese is milder than Suluguni.

Best for: Khachapuri filling component, blended into other cheeses

Where to Buy Sulguni Cheese in the US

Authentic imported Suluguni is genuinely hard to find in US supermarkets. Eastern European and Russian grocery stores carry it most reliably.

Online, RussianFoodUSA sells it at around $12.99 per pound and ships nationally. Instacart via Eastern European specialty stores is another option in major cities.

If you want to try Suluguni in a more shelf-stable form, Chechil Smoked Suluguni Table Cheese 4-Pack is a US-made Georgian-style Suluguni available on Amazon. It has an elastic, layered texture with a deep smoky flavor and melts well in hot dishes.

For the genuine article in snack form, Crispy Smoked Sulguni Cheese Chips are made from 100% real smoked Sulguni in the Republic of Georgia, freeze-dried and shipped to the US. No refrigeration needed, and they are genuinely delicious crumbled over salads or eaten straight.

Cooking With Suluguni and Its Substitutes

Suluguni’s most iconic role is in khachapuri, but it also shines melted over cornmeal dishes like elarji, grilled in wedges and served with fresh herbs and tkemali (Georgian plum sauce), and wrapped around nadugi (fresh curd) with mint as a classic Georgian appetizer.

Smoked Suluguni has its own flavor lane. It is firm enough to slice thin, savory and smoky enough to stand up to strong flavors, and excellent on a cheese board alongside cured meats and pickles.

The Chechil Smoked Braided String Cheese 4-Pack captures that smoked, salty, stringy character. It is handmade in the US using traditional methods and vacuum-sealed for freshness.

If you want to go deeper into Georgian cooking, pairing Suluguni or its substitutes with Georgian spices makes an enormous difference. Suneli Valley Georgian Spices 4-Pack Gift Set includes Svanetian salt, Imeretian saffron, utskho suneli (blue fenugreek), and khmeli suneli, the four spices that define Georgian cuisine.

For more on the kefalotyri cheese family that shares some of Suluguni’s salty, tangy Greek-Mediterranean character, the Kefalotyri cheese substitutes guide covers that territory. And for the scamorza family, which is the Italian cousin of Suluguni in the pasta filata world, the Scamorza cheese substitutes guide is worth reading.

Storing Sulguni and Its Substitutes

Suluguni is a brined cheese, which means it keeps best submerged in a light brine or at least wrapped tightly and kept moist in the fridge. Left unwrapped, it dries out and loses its elastic texture within a day or two.

Formaticum cheese storage bags work well for the block format since the breathable paper maintains the right humidity without trapping off-flavors. For a board presentation, the ChefSofi charcuterie board set includes four knives and four bowls, which handles everything from sliceable smoked Suluguni to a fresh feta crumble on the same surface.

Frequently Asked Questions