Oscypek cheese - what you should know about the Podhale delicacy

Oscypek cheese - the pride of the Zakopane people, and a delicacy for many of us. No wonder - this unique cheese is a kind of showpiece of the southern part of Poland - the aroma of mountain pastures enchanted in it is the essence of the Zakopane tradition. Oscypek cheese is probably one of the few local products that arouses many emotions. Some adore it, while others frankly loathe it. One thing is certain - you cannot leave Podhale without trying traditional Polish oscypek. What is it really? When is the best time to taste the highland delicacy, what should you pay attention to when buying it? Find out all this and much more from our blog!

What are oscypki?

Oscypki are cheeses made from sheep's milk and made by shepherds in the mountains. Since 2008, they have been registered by the European Union as regional products with the "Protected Designation of Origin" certificate. Oscypek arrived on Polish soil together with Vlach shepherds wandering along the whole Carpathian Mountains. The first references to the production of the slightly salty smoked cheese date back as far as the 15th century and can be found in the founding documents of the village of Ochotnica in the Gorce Mountains. A precise description of how to make oscypek, on the other hand, was included in the instructions of the Ślemieński state in the Żywiec region in 1748. This original recipe has not changed to this day.

How is oscypek produced?

Oscypek is a hard, smoked sheep's cheese made mainly in Podhale. It is made by hand from sheep's milk from the Polish Mountain Sheep breed, sometimes with a small admixture of milk from the Polish Red Cow. Some experts on the subject claim that oscypek should be called 'oszczypek', as it owes its name to 'scypanie'. This is one of the stages of production which involves breaking up the cheese to get rid of the whey. It may also involve the separation of wooden moulds called 'oscypiorek'. These are used to give the cheese its final shape and to give it its characteristic highland decorations. 

After the sheep have been milked, the milk is poured through a linen cloth into a wooden bucket to get rid of impurities. The milk is then heated over a fire in a cauldron. When it reaches the right temperature it is renneted. The curdled milk is broken up with a wooden spatula, then a little hot water is added so that the curd pieces stick together and fall to the bottom of the pot. At this stage, the cheese mass is drained of whey and kneaded into a ball shape. The cheese is then steamed several times in hot water before being given its characteristic spindly shape when a wooden mould is placed over it. Over the next 24 hours, the shaped oscypek is bathed in a strong salt solution, which draws any excess water out of the cheese. The final stage is smoking, which takes place on a special shelf under the roof of a shepherd's hut.

When is the best time to try oscypek?

Although you probably come across tvarůžky on shop shelves a lot more often, you can only buy genuine, certified oscypek from May to October. It is not possible at other times because the sheep only give milk at certain times while grazing in the mountain pastures. 

The whole secret of this cheese lies in the milk. The animals raised on the Tatra mountain pastures eat plants which are only found in this region. Among them are many species that have been used in folk medicine for centuries. Their unusual and valuable ingredients therefore indirectly find their way into the cheese along with the milk.

How can you recognise original oscypek cheese?

A properly made oscypek cheese should weigh between 60 and 80 dag and measure between 17 and 23 cm. Traditional oscypek cheese is significantly lighter in colour than cheese made from cow's milk. When cut, the product should be creamy (slightly darker near the rind), not yellow. It is also characterised by a decidedly spicier taste, which not everyone may find to their liking. Genuine Podhale oscypek cheese is more difficult to cut with a knife as it is harder than its counterfeits.

What is the easiest way to check the quality of oscypek cheese? 

Squeeze the cheese firmly at its thickest point. If it is soft, the whey has been inaccurately drained from it, which means it is fake. Genuine oscypek cheese should not have a rind that is too dark. Contrary to popular belief, authentic highland product should not "creak" in the teeth. What is more, real oscypek cheese dries out evenly; only cow's milk cheese dries out and cracks. Genuine, original oscypek also has a slightly salty taste and a distinct smoky smell.

Where is the best place to buy oscypek?

As oscypek can only be produced in a shepherd's hut, this is also the main place to buy the original product. There is even an oscypek trail which leads from shepherd's hut to shepherd's hut through the culinary world of oscypek. Of course, you can also buy oscypek outside of the shepherd's huts. Regardless of where you decide to buy the cheese, when deciding where to buy it, it is important to request a certificate from the seller stating that the product you are buying comes from a licensed Baca, as only a certificate guarantees the originality of the Podhale product. 

Oscypek Museum in Zakopane

For those interested in the history, specificity and production of traditional highlanders' oscypek and lovers of this Podhale delicacy, we recommend visiting the Zakopane Museum of Oscypek, where you can not only taste, but also participate in the creation of this unique delicacy. The Museum of Oscypek, a 15-minute walk from our Zakopane flats, is worth adding to your list during your stay at the ApartArt Apartments in Zakopane.

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