Top 3 Serbian Semi-hard Cheeses

A close cousin to the popular halloumi, Miročki sir is a fresh, full-fat cheese made from cow's milk, although sheep's and goat's milk can also be added to the mixture. It has a semi-hard texture and a slightly sweet flavor. The cheese is shortly cooked in its own whey, and is then salted and left in brine for two days. In the past, fresh Miročki cheese has been treated as a delicacy and people used to put it on sticks and grill it over open flames. When grilled, the exterior becomes crunchy, while the interior remains soft, but not melted. Due to its fatty, intense flavor, it should be paired with cherry tomatoes, figs, pomegranate, honey, and slightly sweet, highly acidic white wines. For the best results, it is recommended to marinate the cheese in orange juice before grilling.Expand

Zlatarski sir is a traditional cheese originating from the Zlatar mountain area. The cheese is made from raw cow's milk (or sometimes a mixture of cow's milk and sheep's milk). This rindless cheese has a semi-hard texture and it's usually cut into thick slices before consumption. The aroma is pleasant and floral, and the flavor is mild, slightly salty, and milky. The floral notes come from the milk because the cows graze on mountain pastures that have a unique and diverse flora. Zlatarski sir is usually left to age from 3 weeks for up to 2 months before consumption.Expand

Pule is the world's most expensive cheese. Originating from Zasavica Nature Reserve in Serbia, the cheese is made with the milk coming from Balkan donkeys, making the product extremely unique and rare. It takes about 25 liters of donkey milk to produce just 1 kilogram of this crumbly white cheese, but a jenny (a female donkey) can only produce 0.2 liters of milk. Three times a day, these donkeys are milked by hand. The cheese has only 1% milk fat, and it also has anti-allergenic properties. It is usually sold at 1000 Euros per kilo, but Pule can even reach the price of 3, 4, or 5 thousand Euros per kilo.Expand