Klenovecký syrec

In addition to gubárstvo Klenovec was also known for the production and sale of cheese. The most famous of them became the Klenovecký syrec, produced in the 17th century. A delicacy that was exported to several European countries, even to the court of Maria Theresa. It is currently on the European list of products with a protected geographical indication.

Classic Klenovecký syrec is a semi-hard, smoked or unsmoked cheese, usually in the shape of a loaf with a diameter of 10 to 25 centimeters, but it can also have a prismatic shape. Its weight is usually one to four kilograms. It is decorated with specific ornaments. An ornament showing a circle inside which is a four-leaf clover, or a cross, from which the sun's rays emanate, is pressed into the surface of the cheese by means of a matrix. The circumference of the circle is decorated with serrations. Ornament symbolizes the earth, the universe, the sun and the wisdom of our ancestors.

Suitable rooms with a constant temperature are needed for the production of Klenovecký syrec, as it is characterized by a long ripening time. The best cheese is four to six months old. The quality of the whey is also favorably influenced by the plants that grow in the locality and the sheep graze them: Trojštet yellowish, Kostrava lúčná, Kostrava červená, Lipnica lúčná. Milk from these areas has excellent cheese and fermentation properties, which is a prerequisite for the production of exceptionally high-quality cheese. In the past, such a breast weighed eight kilograms and one required the milk of about sixty sheep for one milking. Its surface is said to have been painted with green mold, so that it dissolves the bača mold in warm water and dipped the cheese in it for a while to catch the green color. It wasn't until later that harmless dyes were used.

During the Hungarian period, Klenovecký syrec was exported to Vienna and Budapest. After the establishment of the first Czechoslovakia, the supply was limited only to the surrounding cities. Today, you will not find Klenovský syrec in hypermarkets or groceries. You can buy it at Klenovské lazy and from local farms.