🧀 Liptovská bryndza

Liptovská bryndza is a Slovak soft spreadable cheese made only from sheep's cheese in the Liptov region of northern Slovakia. It is one kind of bryndza; the name is protected in the EU as a PDO (eAmbrosia file PDO-SK-03316).

Liptov is a mountain basin between the High, Western and Low Tatras and the Veľká Fatra. The sheep, mostly of the local Valachian and Tsigai breeds, graze meadows of clover and mountain grasses on limestone soils.

Fresh, unheated sheep's milk is made into a lump cheese (hrudka). This is matured, pressed, crumbled, ground and mixed with salt. The specification requires 100% sheep's lump cheese, at least 50% dry matter and 50% fat in dry matter. The finished bryndza is white to yellowish, smooth and spreadable, with a pleasantly tangy, slightly piquant and salty sheep's cheese taste.

On this site it belongs to the fresh cheeses and to the cheeses of Slovakia. The wider protected name is Slovenská bryndza (PGI), which allows some cow's milk cheese.

How to eat it: in bryndzové halušky (potato dumplings), in pierogi, or on bread with onion. Drink ideas are on Wine and cheese.

Why it matters to you: only bryndza from Liptov made solely from sheep's cheese to the PDO specification may be sold as Liptovská bryndza.