Production of cheese is widespread in the whole Kosovo and Metohija and It presents an important part of traditional nutrition.
One of the most famous sorts of cheese in this area is the cheese from Shar mountain which is produced in households in the villages under Shar mountain. Widely known cheese from the Shar mountain which looks like formaggio (kackavalj-kind of hard cheese), but with unique taste, is something that every person from Sirinicka zupa is proud about.
On the above said region, which is characterized by extremely preserved surrounding, clear rivers and springs, as well as clean mountain air, the cheese has been produced in a traditional way which has been known for a long time.
This sort of cheese was first mentioned in the famous “Constantinople Gazette” dating from 28th June 1901, where it said: “The cheese from the Shar mountain has conquered the neighbouring markets. This cheese is characterized by yellow colour and its taste that no other cheese has. “
In the beginning, this cheese from the Shar mountain was made of sheep milk, before all, due to a large number of sheep that went grazing in higher and inaccessible parts of the mountain. Auchthon grass and medicinal herbs from the Shar mountain, give milk very special taste. With times, the number of sheep decreased, so cheese started to be made of cow milk.
Considering the fact that “a good voice can be heard far and wide…”, the taste of this dairy product is widely known and more and more admirers from all over the world are attracted every day. Popularity of the cheese from Shar mountain can be reflected in the fact that an international portal tasteatlas, as the world atlas of traditional food and drinks , as well as cult restaurants, put It on the list of 670 best cheeses in the world. We are very proud to say that Shar mountain cheese is one of 3 sorts of cheese which was presented and graded from the territory of Serbia.
Regardless of the fact that fewer and fewer people do livestock today, there are still households whose cattle go grazing on the slopes of Shar mountain continuing the tradition of cheese and other dairy products production.
One of them is a household of the Janicijevics family.
The place where the story begins
Berevce, the village on the slopes of Shar mountain on the see height of 974 meters, leans on Strpce, a small town which has been and it still is the centre of Sirinicka zupa, as it has been the name on the south of Kosovo and Metohija for a long time, along with upper watershed down of Lepenac, between Urosevac and Prizren.
Quality milk
The recipe for making this specialty of Sirinicka zupa has remained the same as it was a hundred years ago. Shar cheese is hard cheese, made of raw cow or sheep milk. This traditional, but at the same time ecological method , includes cows or sheep milking with hands, which is followed by filtrating of fresh milk and heating on the temperature of 30-35 °C.
Traditional making
The cheese made this way is comprised in the gauze and is tightly pressed to eliminate all the water, and then it is left for 12 hours to be filtrated completely. It is made in the forms of round, flat clumps which are then dried in a dark place with a good flow of air. The time of drying is usually from fourteen to twenty days, and it can be even longer, depending on the season.
About Us
We, the family of Janicijevic, the inhabitants of this beautiful place, still keep the tradition of our ancestors we have inherited, and we deal with making Shar cheese and other dairy products. The tradition of production of this auchthon cheese is more than a hundred years old and is transferred from generation to generation.
Contact Us
You want to contact us? Regardless of the fact if you are the admirer of our cheese or not. A chef, agricultural laborer or a journalist, we would like to hear from you. Please, contact us and we will call you back.
Address: Kosovo and Metohija, The village of Berevce
Telephone: +381 65 208 40 34
Е-mail: info@sarskisir.com