Oscypek cheese

Oscypek cheese, also known as oszczypek cheese, used to be made by Vlach shepherds who pastured their sheep on mountain clearings. The cheese has a very long tradition. It arrived in Podhale region as an element of Vlach culture. The method of its production was written down and regulated in the 18th century.

Oscypek is cheese made from sheep’s milk. Its colour is usually light cream, darker at the skin; it may also be nearly white. The skin is straw-coloured and shiny. Oscypek cheese is hard, with an elastic inside. Smoking adds distinct flavour to oscypek, it is also a bit salty. The cheese may have various shapes, usually it is shaped as a butterball, a double cone or a spindle. The middle part is cylindrical, decorated with concave or convex moulded ornaments which are the identification marks of the manufacturer. Water content ranges between 42% and 50% of water, fat content in dry mass is between 40% and 60%. The length of oscypek cheese is 17–23 cm, with 6–10 cm in diameter in the widest part.

https://pl.fotolia.com/id/68492605
Where to buy: http://www.trzyznakismaku.pl/produkty/oscypek
Producers: http://www.trzyznakismaku.pl/producenci/oscypek
Source of information: http://www.minrol.gov.pl/Jakosc-zywnosci/Produkty-regionalne-i-tradycyjne/Lista-produktow-tradycyjnych/woj.-malopolskie/Oscypek-oszczypek