Bryndza

Bryndza is a sheep's milk cheese popular in several mountainous countries of East-Central Europe, Ukraine and Slovakia. It was first made in the Kingdom of Hungary and Poland. The name Bryndza comes from Wallachian, the Romanian word for cheese.

Different types of Bryndza are prepared differently, thus giving the cheese a characteristic texture, taste and colour. Slovak Bryndza was registered in the EU as PGI in 2008, and Bryndza Podhalańska from Poland was registered in the EU as PDO in 2007. In Austria, Bryndza was called Liptauer.

The texture, flavour and colour of Bryndza depend on how it is made. Generally, the cheese is salty and crumbly if common salt is used, but some producers add saline solution to make it salty, changing the texture to soft and spreadable. The cheese is white to grey in colour, tangy and slightly moist. The flavour graph starts from mild to strong and then fades with a salty finish.