White sheep’s cheese from Mount Vlašić above Travnik, matured in brine until salty and crumbly. It is also sold as Travnik cheese, and it is the standard white cheese of Bosnian pies and salads.
Ripening in brine for months needs a controlled cool store and a salt concentration measured to the batch, and the cheese takes its character from the milk of one mountain’s flocks.
What goes into it
- sheep’s milk, often with some cow’s milk
- rennet
- salt for the brine
How it is made
Fresh mountain milk is set with rennet, the curd cut and drained, then cut into blocks and layered with salt in wooden vessels or tins where it makes its own brine. It ripens submerged for weeks to months, growing saltier and more crumbly as it goes.
How long it takes: one to three months in brine
How it is eaten
Crumbled into salads and burek, eaten with bread and tomato, or served as meze.
History
Made by shepherds on Mount Vlašić above Travnik and ripened in brine, which is why it is also called Travnik cheese.
Frequently asked questions
What is Vlašićki sir?
Vlašićki sir is a cheese & dairy from Bosnia and Herzegovina: white sheep cheese matured in brine, salty and crumbly. Made by shepherds on Mount Vlašić above Travnik and ripened in brine, which is why it is also called Travnik cheese.
How is Vlašićki sir made?
Fresh mountain milk is set with rennet, the curd cut and drained, then cut into blocks and layered with salt in wooden vessels or tins where it makes its own brine. It ripens submerged for weeks to months, growing saltier and more crumbly as it goes. It takes one to three months in brine.
Can I make Vlašićki sir at home?
No, and the atlas gives no method for it. Ripening in brine for months needs a controlled cool store and a salt concentration measured to the batch, and the cheese takes its character from the milk of one mountain’s flocks.
What goes into Vlašićki sir?
Sheep’s milk, often with some cow’s milk, rennet, salt for the brine.
How is Vlašićki sir eaten?
Crumbled into salads and burek, eaten with bread and tomato, or served as meze.
