🧀 Bryndza
Also known as: brynza, brânză, Slovenská bryndza
A brined cheese, often from sheep's milk; in Slovakia the name also covers a soft spreadable cheese.
Brynza is a brined or soft cheese traditionally made from sheep’s milk, and also from goat’s milk or a mix with cow’s milk. Milk curdled with rennet is left to separate from the whey, the curd is pressed and then aged in salt solution (brine) for several weeks. The result is a white, slightly salty rindless cheese with a firm or crumbly texture.
The name is widespread in Central and Eastern Europe — in the Carpathians, the Balkans, Moldova, Romania, Ukraine, Poland and Slovakia. But it refers to different products: in Romania and Moldova brânză is the general word for cheese, in the south of Eastern Europe it means a brined cheese, while Slovak “Slovenská bryndza” is a soft spreadable cheese made from sheep’s cheese curd (hrudka) that holds a protected geographical indication in the EU.
Brined brynza resembles Greek feta, but feta is a protected name that in the EU may only be used for cheese from Greece made to a strict specification. Brynza is eaten with vegetables, added to salads, pastries and fillings, and served with mamaliga and potatoes (Slovak bryndzové halušky).
How it connects to milk
Links
- Made from which milk
- 🥛 Sheep's milk
- From whose milk
- 🐑 Sheep
- Where it is traditional
- 🌍 Carpathians, 🌍 Balkans
- Which peoples make it
- 🧑🤝🧑 Slovaks, 🧑🤝🧑 Romanians, 🧑🤝🧑 Ukrainians
- Product type
- 🏺 Traditional dairy products
- Part of
- 🧀 Cheese
- Wine and milk
- 🍷 Oak barrel, 🍷 Wine and cheese
Frequently asked questions
What is the difference between brynza and feta?
Both are brined cheeses and often made from sheep’s milk. But feta is a protected Greek name with strict requirements, while brynza is made in many countries to different recipes, including from cow’s milk.
What milk is brynza made from?
Traditionally sheep’s milk, and also goat’s milk or mixed milk; industrial producers often use cow’s milk.
Why is brynza so salty?
It is aged in brine, which preserves the cheese. To make it less salty, you can soak brynza in water or milk.
Comparisons
Similar
🧀 Feta · 🧀 Halloumi · 🧀 Pecorino · 🧀 Mozzarella · 🧀 Parmesan · 🧀 Camembert
ℹ️ Dairy products contain lactose and milk proteins: if you are lactose intolerant or allergic to milk protein, ask a doctor.