Croatia has the best cheese in the world! Have you tasted Paški sir?
All lovers of our quality wines will be thrilled with the fact that besides the drop of wine, in Croatia they can also eat the best cheese in the world. Because we have it! We knew it already, but now it’s official. The Pag Island Cheese is the winner of the prestigious awards at the Global Cheese Awards 2017.
With its relatively hard texture, gentle salinity, distinctive scent and special taste which comes from sheep’s milk, the Paški sir delighted the taste buds of the expert team of judges. Based on that it won this year’s title for the best sheep cheese at the ”Global Cheese Awards” in England.
”Global Cheese Awards” is the cheese fair with the longest tradition in the UK. A highly valued expert team of judges choses the best among the cheeses. At this year’s competition in the English city of Somerset, the Pag island cheese won the prize in two categories – golden medal for the best cheese made from sheep’s milk and for the best specialty made of sheep’s milk. Both awards brought trophy for the best sheep cheese to Paška sirana. It is a great acknowledgment given the fact that more than a thousand cheeses from all over the world competed at this year’s fair.
The Pag island cheese has already been mentioned as one of the most rewarding Croatian products. It was also awarded in the Spanish San Sebastian competition, with the Super Gold medal.
A cheese made from milk of Pag island sheep
The award-winning Paški sir is made from milk of Pag island sheep. Approximately 3,000 sheep stroll on the ground in Pag and each step is followed by more than 20 shepherds. The specialty of Pag island cheese comes from the island of Pag and its marvellous vegetation which, although very sparse, is full of various aromatic herbs. Also, the wind blowing from the northeast during the winter brings salt from the sea to the mainland. All of that makes the Pag island cheese unique.
Aged Paški sir cheese is best served with a glass of good red wine
“There is young and aged Paški sir. Young cheese is the one which matures up to a year, and the old one matures over one year. The young is recognized by the mild, salty taste and light colour while aged cheese is spicy, harder and darker in colour. Both young and aged Pag island cheese are a true gourmet delight. Young cheese is best consumed with Dalmatian prosciutto or Slavonian kulen, while aged cheese is best with a glass of good red wine “, recommends Paškasirana which first put Paški sir on the market, more than 70 years ago.
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