Norwegian sheepskins become traditional cheese containers in Erzincan

The journey of Erzincan’s leather tulum containers begins in Norway, where local businesses source the white sheep skins used to make them.

At facilities in Erzincan, workers remove the skins’ long wool, cut them to size with press machines, and leave them to rest and ferment. Special machines then stitch the containers before they pass through quality control and are packaged for customers.

The finished tulums are sent to cheese producers in Erzincan and provinces including Çorum, Erzurum, Tunceli, Elazığ, Malatya, Van, Bingöl, Istanbul, Mardin and Adana. The containers are used in the production of traditional tulum cheese and are said to help the cheese mature under natural conditions.

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Our skins’ journey begins in Norway. We bring in the world’s most natural white sheep skins.

Business owner Onur Eraslan said the process starts with imported Norwegian skins. "Our skins’ journey begins in Norway. We bring in the world’s most natural white sheep skins," he said. Eraslan described the processing stages in Erzincan, from removing the long wool and cutting the skins to stitching, inspection and shipment.

The facility is presented as a meeting point between traditional production methods and modern technology. The leather tulums help maintain the region’s cheese-making tradition while generating income for Erzincan’s economy.

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In Erzincan, we first remove the long wool, then cut them to the required sizes with press machines. After the resting and fermentation process, they are stitched on special machines. Our tulums are packaged and sent to customers after quality control.