Two guys, a girl and a blindfold: Whey too good?

Can the judges of The Chefs' Line recognise kashk in a blind taste test? And what is kashk, anyway?

If you've ever read a menu at a Persian restaurant, you probably would have seen kashk-e bademjan, a delicious eggplant dip, topped with kashk, a by-product of cheesemaking that's strained and dried to varying degrees. The result is a thick concentrate milk solids that carry a distinctive smell and can be sold in anything from jars of paste to dried balls that get rehydrated before use. 

Use this ingredient as a topping where you would use a creamy feta or a strong, salty yoghurt. You can even try using it to thicken a hearty winter soup, like this Persian ash-e-reshteh, filled with vegetables, noodles and beans, or add it to your favourite baba ganouj recipe for a creamy twist.

Kashk - Middle Eastern dried yoghurt Source: Getty Images / Ivenks

So, how did our judges do in the blind taste test?

Have the TCL judges ever tasted this fermented dairy product? Source: The Chefs' Line

(3, 2, 1, down the hatch!)

[Dan] I know! 

[Melissa] It's on the tip of my tongue, but I can't...

What will their final guess be? Source: The Chefs Line

[Dan] I've got it...I think.

[Melissa] I don't know!!

Our chefs take their best guesses... Source: The Chefs' Line

(It's kashk. A Middle Eastern fermented whey.)

[Melissa] Ahhhhhh.

[Dan] Ah okay. And what animal?

(Cow)

[Dan] Really? Damn, I wrote goat's cheese.

Have the TCL Judes ever tried this middle eastern ingredient? Source: The Chefs' Line

(What sort of flavours did you get eating it?)

[Mark] It was sour. 

[Dan] It was like a cheese spread.

[Melissa] Yeah it was kinda like that parmesan-y, umami...

[Dan] I got that goat's feta...

[Melissa] Yeah I would've said goat or sheep. 

[Mark] Sheep, definitely sheep. 

[Melissa] Kinda like in-between parmesan and you know that cheese that's parmesan-but-not-parmesan-that's-not-refrigerated? That stuff. 

The Chefs' Line is back for round 2! Home cooks versus restaurant chefs are getting ready to rumble in our kitchen 6pm weeknights starting Monday, August 6 on SBS and then on SBS On Demand. Visit the program page for recipes, videos, cooking tips and more.