You probably won't taste lor cheese unless you go to Turkey, or live in a place where there's a large Turkish community. Lor is similar to ricotta, in that it's made from whey - the watery, tangy byproduct left after coagulated milk solids have been strained during the production of other types of cheese. The whey is heated until it coagulates, then liquid is poured off, leaving behind the softly set solids. The un-aged cheese is soft and crumbly, with a mild, slightly tangy flavour. Lor doesn't keep well, and needs to be eaten very fresh. It can be made from sheep or cow's milk.
Lor is delicious in borek (below left) - fried or baked filled pastries made of thin sheets of dough (you can use filo). Mash the lor with some salt and pepper, and other seasonings of your choice, such as minced fresh herbs, or chopped shallot or garlic that's been saut?ed in olive oil until soft. Brush the filo with melted butter then fold it in half width-wise to form a broad rectangle. Turn the rectangle so one of the shorter ends is facing you then spoon some of the lor across the width, close to the short edge. Fold up the sides then roll the pastry into a thick cigar. Brush with more melted butter then bake at about 200 degrees Celsius, or until golden brown and crisp. Even better is borek with an egg. Brush the sheet of filo with melted butter, but fold it in half lengthwise so it's a narrow strip. Spoon a mound of lor about 6cm away from one of the narrow ends and make an indentation in the cheese. Separate an egg and put the yolk in the indentation. Carefully fold up the sides, then fold the small end of the filo strip over the cheese, working carefully so you don't break the egg yolk. Continue to fold it over itself until you reach the far end of the strip. Fry in hot oil until pale golden; you can't bake these because the egg yolk will harden (it should be soft and oozy) before the pastry is done. Take care when biting into the hot borek because the egg yolk will drip out.
