Traditional production and characteristics of Sjenica cheese and Pirot kachkaval

Abstract

In this paper, principles of traditional production and main characteristics of Sjenica cheese and Pirot kachkaval are presented. Sjenica cheese belongs to the group of soft, white cheeses in brine and it is produced as autochthonous product made of sheep milk, on the territory of Sjenica-Pester plateau. Pirot kachkaval is firm cheese of steamed curdle produced from mix of sheep and cow milk (1: 2 ratio) on the territory of Stara Planina Mountain. These are geographical areas where production takes place in village households/farms and on mountains in summer cottages (katun, bacija), which is characteristic of craft dairy processing. Specific traits of traditional manufacturing of Sjenica cheese and Pirot kachkaval derive from climatic conditions, characteristic grass associations of the specific mountain region and milk from autochthonous populations (Sjenica and Pirot sheep). In order to maintain the traditional manufacturing technology of these native products and to have organized production, it is necessary to protect the geographical origin of these products.