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
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?
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?
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...
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?
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.

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