🧀 Slovenská parenica

Slovenská parenica is a Slovak scalded (steamed), lightly smoked cheese rolled from a long ribbon of cheese into two connected S-shaped rolls tied with a cheese thread or chain. The name is protected in the EU as a PGI (eAmbrosia PGI-SK-0485; entered in the register by Regulation (EC) No 656/2008). The designated area is the mountainous part of Slovakia.

It is made from fresh raw sheep's milk, or a mixture of raw sheep's and cow's milk with at least 50% sheep's milk; the specification names the sheep breeds Valaška, Zošľachtená valaška, Cigája and East Friesian. The curd is formed into a lump, left to sour for about 24 hours, then cut up and worked in warm water at 60-70 °C into a smooth cheese paste. This is stretched and folded repeatedly and drawn into a ribbon 4-6 m long and 2-3 mm thick, passed through cold saturated brine, rolled from both ends into an S shape, tied, and smoked for about two hours over hardwood smoke.

Each cheese is two rolls 6-8 cm in diameter and 5-8 cm high; individually packed pieces weigh 450-500 g and are packed between two ovals of wooden veneer. The surface is yellow to brown after smoking, the inside white to buttery yellow. The structure is distinctly fibrous and elastic; the taste is mild and pleasantly salty, with the flavour of sheep's milk and smoke. Dry matter is at least 53%, fat in dry matter at least 50%, and salt (NaCl) at most 3%.

According to the specification, parenica began to be made for household use in the families of sheep owners in the 18th century and in the 19th century reached markets, including Vienna and other European cities. The name of the cheese, the producer's name and the address of the plant must be given on the package.