4 Worst Rated Slovak Cheeses

Klenovecký syrec is a semi-hard cheese made from unpasteurized sheep's or cow's high-quality milk, produced in the mountainous Gemer-Malohont region in the Slovak Republic since 1850. The cheese can be either smoked or unsmoked and can be made in shepherd's huts, on a farm or at dairies using the industrial process. On the exterior, particularly on the surface, it has an embossed four-leaf clover for decoration, and its soft rind can be colored green using wood ash. The cheese must weigh between one and four kilograms. On the interior, it is white to pale yellow, with a soft, elastic texture with tiny holes that appear once the cheese is sliced. The flavour is pleasant, slightly acidic and salty, and smoky in smoked varieties. The cheese is so popular in the region today that it is displayed as a delicacy at a well-known regional event in Klenovec called Klenovecká Rontouka.Expand

Tekovský salámový syr is a semi-hard cheese made from pasteurized, full-fat cow's milk in the Tekov region in the Slovak Republic, on the border between the Nitra and Banská Bystrica regions since 1949. The region is in a lowland area, known for wine-growing and cheese-making. It can be either smoked or unsmoked after it has been salted and dried, and it comes in the visually striking shape of a long cylinder, similar to salami. Its texture is soft, elastic and pliable with small holes that appear when the cheese is sliced. Its taste is slightly acidic and salty, aromatic and milky, due to its short maturation period. On the exterior it is white to yellow, or golden yellow in smoked varieties. Tekovský salámový cheese is excellent as an after meal snack or an appetizer paired with deli meats and a glass of wine.Expand

Locally known as Salaš, hence the term Salašnícky, Ovčí hrudkový syr is a farmhouse cheese made from unpasteurized sheep's milk, shaped by hand into a lump that gets its unique taste from the traditional process used during fermentation in shepherd's huts in the Slovak Republic's mountainous regions. It weighs up to 5 kilograms and has a dry surface, with tiny holes and cracks on its interior. It is white to pale yellow in colour and the taste is delicately mild, clean, fresh, slightly acidic, characteristic of sheep's milk products. The texture is quite firm, yet elastic and pliable. Pair it with sliced pears, fresh pastry or sweet wines.Expand

Zázrivské vojky is a steamed string cheese product that can be either smoked or unsmoked. It is made from pasteurised or unpasteurized cow's milk in the area around Zázrivá in the Slovak Republic. The thin strings are from 10 to 70 centimeters long and made using the traditional production process of steaming the lumped cheese in hot water and pulling the strings by hand, locally referred to as 'vojky'. In order to remove the water, the strings are hung on poles. The stringy cheese is presented twisted, loose or bound in the middle. The texture of the cheese is stringy, and it is creamy or golden yellow in color, depending on the smoking process. When eaten, the pleasant, milky, slightly acidic flavors develop on the palate. A truly unique Slovak product, it is often consumed and sold on various festive occasions such as weddings or on Christmas and Easter.Expand