🧀 Sirene

Sirene is a Bulgarian white cheese ripened in brine, made from cow's, sheep's, goat's or buffalo milk. Its full name is byalo salamureno sirene, 'white brined cheese'.

Sirene belongs to the cheeses in brine. The Codex group standard describes them as semi-hard to soft ripened cheeses with a white to yellowish body, a compact texture suitable for slicing, none to few mechanical openings and no actual rind; they are ripened and preserved in brine and contain at least 40% fat in dry matter.

Sirene or feta? Both are white cheeses ripened in brine, but sirene is Bulgarian, while feta is a Greek EU-protected cheese from sheep’s milk. Sirene can be made from cow’s, sheep’s, goat’s, buffalo or mixed milk. The protected Bulgarsko byalo salamureno sirene uses pasteurised whole milk set with rennet; the curd is cut, pressed, salted and ripened in brine for at least 45 days (60 for sheep’s, buffalo and mixed milk). The paste is white with a porcelain-like break, moderately firm and elastic, and the cheese has no rind.

Look for “sirene” together with the full protected name “Bulgarsko byalo salamureno sirene” (Българско бяло саламурено сирене) and the EU PDO symbol (protected designation of origin); the word alone does not guarantee it. The label should name the milk and Bulgaria as the place of making. Pieces weigh 0.2 to 2 kg, white with a porcelain-like break and no rind, sold in brine. Look in the cheese section of a supermarket, at a delicatessen or in a Balkan or East European grocery.

In the EU the name Bulgarsko byalo salamureno sirene is registered as a PDO (Regulation 2023/1571). Its specification covers only the protected cheese: made in Bulgaria from whole cow's, sheep's, goat's, buffalo or mixed milk, which is pasteurised and set with rennet; the curd is cut, pressed, salted and ripened in brine. Pieces weigh 0.2 to 2 kg; the paste is white with a porcelain-like break, moderately firm and elastic. Dry matter is at least 46% (48% for sheep's and buffalo milk); salt is 3.5 ± 0.5% in the cheese and 6 to 10% in the brine; ripening lasts at least 45 days for cow's and goat's milk and 60 days for sheep's, buffalo and mixed milk.