Kashk substitutes

The closest everyday match, because sour cream supplies the body and tang while the brine supplies the salt and the savoury cultured funk.

Best for

kashk-e bademjan, ash reshteh, drizzling, eggplant dips, soups

If your feta comes without much brine, mash 2 tablespoons of the cheese with a tablespoon of water and push it through a sieve so it is smooth. The result is a shade milder and creamier than jarred kashk and slightly less sharp, but the salt and sourness land in the right place and no one at the table will identify it as a substitute.

The version most people can make right now from what is in the fridge, and a genuinely decent one as long as you do not skip the salt.

Best for

kashk-e bademjan, ash reshteh, kashk-e badoomjoon drizzle, quick swaps

Tangier and cleaner than kashk, so the dish tastes bright and yogurt-forward rather than deep and cheesy. Stir it in off the heat and drizzle the rest on cold, because thin yogurt splits into grains if it boils. Whisk it smooth first; Greek yogurt stirred lazily leaves lumps that look wrong on top of a dip.

The best match for kashk's specific savoury sharpness, since brined sheep or goat feta is fermented, salty and funky in the same direction.

Best for

kashk-e bademjan, drizzling, eggplant dips, roast vegetables

Sharper and saltier than the sour cream version and much closer to the real thing in flavour. The catch is texture: mashed feta is grainy where kashk is silky, so blend it or press it through a fine sieve. Add no extra salt at all, and taste your eggplant before seasoning it.

Thicker and richer than the yogurt version, which makes it the best choice for the spoonfuls you swirl over the top at the end.

Best for

kashk-e bademjan, garnishing, dips, flatbread spreads

Holds its shape in a swirl instead of running into the eggplant, which is exactly what you want for the finishing drizzle. Slightly less sour than kashk and much richer, so use a little less than the recipe says and let the lemon do the work.

An unlikely combination that works, because aged hard cheese contributes exactly the savoury depth that plain dairy is missing.

Best for

kashk-e bademjan, soups, when there is no feta in the house

Keep it under a tablespoon or the dish starts tasting faintly Italian, and grate it as finely as you can so it dissolves rather than sitting in shreds. Surprisingly convincing at the right dose, and it needs no added salt since the cheese brings plenty.

The same family of product under other names, sold in Afghan, Central Asian and Turkish shops when the Iranian jars are not available.

Best for

kashk-e bademjan, ash reshteh, dumplings, soups

Essentially the real thing and often cheaper. Soak thoroughly, then blend or press through a sieve, since unsoaked lumps never fully dissolve. Be careful with the Levantine word kishk, which usually means a dry powder of fermented bulgur and yogurt: that is a soup base, not a drizzle, and it will make a gritty porridge if you use it here.

Listed because it is the swap most recipes suggest and the one that reliably disappoints.

Best for

nothing, without salt and acid added

It looks exactly right on the plate and tastes of almost nothing against sweet fried eggplant and caramelised onions, because you have replaced a salty fermented seasoning with a mild creamy one. Two minutes with salt, lemon and a little feta turns it into one of the good options above, so do that instead.