🌍 Carpathians

The Carpathians are a mountain arc about 1,500 km long in Central and Eastern Europe, running through Ukraine, Poland, Slovakia, Romania and other countries; the Ukrainian Carpathians lie in Zakarpattia, Ivano-Frankivsk and Chernivtsi oblasts. Sheep and cattle have long been kept here, and in summer flocks are driven up to the high mountain pastures, the polonyny.

In the Hutsul region (Hutsulshchyna) — about 6 thousand km² with about 200 thousand inhabitants — the Encyclopedia of Modern Ukraine names transhumant sheep farming as the main occupation. Hutsul everyday food includes cow's and sheep's cheese, bryndza, the soured milk huslianka and sour cream. On the polonyny, head shepherds-cheesemakers (vatahy) make cheese.

In 2019 “Hutsulska ovecha bryndzia” (Hutsul sheep bryndza) became the first Ukrainian geographical indication of a food. It is made only on polonyny above 700 m, from late spring to September — about 120 days a year — from at least 80% sheep's milk. The milk is set with kliah rennet at 32–36 °C; the lump of cheese, budz, is hung to ripen, then ground with 1–3% salt and packed into wooden berbenytsia tubs, where the bryndza keeps for up to a year. It is first mentioned in writing in 1370. The leftover whey, with a little milk, is boiled into vurda.

In the Polish Carpathians, the sheep's cheeses “Bryndza Podhalańska” (2007) and smoked “Oscypek” (2008) hold EU protected names, both with at least 60% sheep's milk. “Slovenská bryndza” has been an EU geographical indication since 2008, and Romania protects the brined cheese “Telemea de Ibănești” (2016). UNESCO listed seasonal livestock droving in Romania in 2023.

Why it matters to you. Genuine Hutsul sheep bryndza carries the geographical indication name: at least 80% sheep's milk and at least 30% fat in dry matter. Store it at no more than 6 °C; in a glass jar it keeps 120 days. Bryndza made only from cow's milk is a different product.