🧀 Paški sir

Paški sir is a Croatian hard sheep's cheese with a protected designation of origin (PDO). It is made from whole milk of the native Pag sheep breed, raw or heat-treated, with animal rennet or other coagulating enzymes of microbiological origin and sea salt produced in the production area. It is matured for at least 60 days before it is sold.

The sheep spend the whole year on the island's pastures and eat coarse fodder from the area. Feed from outside the area may not exceed 50 % of the dry matter eaten over the year, and silage and brewer's spent grain are forbidden. According to the specification, the pastures hold many aromatic and medicinal plants, such as sage, immortelle, thyme and mint. During maturing the cheese is washed and coated with olive or other vegetable oil at least four to six times.

The cheese is cylindrical with a flat base, 18 to 24 cm in diameter and 1.8 to 3.5 kg in weight; smaller cheeses of 0.6 to 1.2 kg are also allowed. The rind is smooth and hard, golden yellow to pale reddish-brown. The paste is compact and pale yellow, with no or very few small holes. Dry matter is at least 55 % and fat in dry matter at least 45 %. The taste is slightly sharp and sweet and becomes sharper with age; the aroma is typical of sheep's cheese, with hints of aromatic herbs. Cheese matured for 6 months or more has a fine granular structure.

Paški sir or any hard sheep’s cheese? Paški sir is a Croatian PDO cheese made from the milk of the native Pag sheep, with sea salt from the production area and animal rennet or microbial enzymes. The sheep graze the island all year on aromatic pastures, and silage and brewer’s spent grain are forbidden. It is matured for at least 60 days and washed with oil, so its golden rind and herbal aroma are what set it apart from a plain hard sheep’s cheese.

Look for the name “Paški sir”, which on the label must stand out more clearly than any other inscription, next to the common EU symbol for a protected designation of origin (PDO). In Croatian this is zaštićena oznaka izvornosti. The cheese is a golden-yellow cylinder with a smooth rind. Delicatessens and cheese counters stock it, usually in wedges.

All production steps, from renneting to maturing, take place on the island of Pag and the islets of Maun and Škrda. On the label the name Paški sir must stand out more clearly than any other inscription, next to the common symbol.