Top 3 Local Cheeses
in Slovene Littoral

Classified as a semi-hard cheese, Bovški sir is primarily made from sheep milk, the content of which shouldn't be less than 80%. As suggested by its name, this cheese comes from Bovec, a town, and municipality located in the Goriška region. Today, Bovški sir is produced only around the Valley of Loška Koritnica, Krnica, and on the Mangart mountain; the only areas in the Slovenian Alps where sheep farming is intended exclusively for milk production and cheese-making, and the home of Slovenia's native Bovška ovca, a breed of domestic sheep originating from the upper Soča valley. Bovec cheese comes in wheels weighing between 2.5 and 4.5 kilos. Its inside is quite dense, brittle but not crumbly, breaking cleanly and it is beige in color, with small, evenly distributed eyes and occasional cracks. The rind is firm, smooth and even, varying from beige to grey-brown. This Slovenian variety of sheep cheese is characterized by a distinctive and intense aroma with a slightly piquant taste.Expand

Known among locals as the 'King of Mountain Heaven', this Slovenian semi-hard cheese originates from the Goriška region, and is produced exclusively in the municipalities of Tolmin, Kobarid, and Bovec. It is made from whole or partly skimmed raw milk obtained only from cows pastured in the defined geographical area. At least 80% of the milk used for producing Tolminc cheese comes from a brown piebald cow breed called Cika, a smaller and lighter variety of Pinzgauer cattle, highly adapted to pasturing in mountains and highlands, and indigenous to the Upper Soča Valley where Tolminc is produced. Matured for at least 2 months, this cheese is packed in wheels weighing between 3.5 and 5 kilos. Awarded various prizes for excellence many years in a row, Tolminc can be described as a cheese of a pronounced earthy aroma and a sweet to slightly spicy flavor. For a nice twist, try pairing Tolminc cow cheese with homebaked bread smeared with some apple jam.Expand

Known as the 'Slovenian cheese that tastes like the wind', Nanoški sir is a type of hard cheese made of cow milk from the animals pastured on slopes of the Nanos mountain. It takes about two months for the Nanos cheese to ripen, after which it acquires its pleasantly salty to slightly spicy taste, and quite an intense scent. As the cheese ages, its aroma and piquant flavor become even stronger. Easily distinguished by its peach colored rind, Nanos cheese comes in wheels weighing from 8 to 11 kilos. Also, the milk used for the production of Nanoški sir has to be obtained exclusively from Brown Swiss cows, which are pastured within the designated area of Nanos, Vipava Valley and the Karst plateau. While the unique flora of the region makes a significant difference when it comes to milk quality, the climate conditions together with strong Bora winds have a major influence on the maturing process and cheese quality.Expand