Tolminc
Also known as: Tolminc PDO, Tolminski sir, Formaggio di Tolmino
Tolminc is a Slovenian hard PDO cheese made from cow's milk in the upper Soča valley around Tolmin.
Tolminc is a Slovenian hard PDO cheese made from cow's milk. It is a wheel 23–27 cm across and 8–9 cm high, weighing 3.5–5 kg, with a smooth straw-coloured rind and a flexible yellow paste with lentil- or pea-sized eyes.
The milk is raw or thermised (57–68 °C); at least 80 % comes from brown cows, and pasture, hay and silage make up at least 75 % of the dry matter of the ration. The milk is matured for at least 12 hours, coagulated at 32–34 °C in 25–35 minutes and the curd heated to 44–48 °C. The cheese is pressed for 6–12 hours, kept in brine for 24–48 hours and ripened for at least 60 days. The finished cheese has at least 60 % dry matter and 45 % fat in it.
The area is the upper Soča valley: the municipalities of Kobarid, Tolmin and Bovec. The first records date from the 13th century, when cheese was used to pay taxes; in 1756 "Formaggio di Tolmino" appears on a price list in Udine, and in 1886 hard cheeses were made on the Razor pasture with the Swiss cheesemaker Thomas Hitz.
The taste is sweet and piquant, the smell distinctive and free of foreign odours.
Why it matters to you: the PDO name means that both milk and cheese come from the Soča valley.
Facts
| Registered | PDO; 2012 |
|---|---|
| Raw material | Raw or thermised cow's milk |
| Region | Upper Soča valley: Kobarid, Tolmin, Bovec, Slovenia |
| Duration | At least 60 days |
| Taste | Sweet, piquant |
| Legal basis | Reg. (EU) 187/2012 |
How it connects to Cheese
Tolminc → kind of → 🪨 Hard cheeses → kind of → 🧀 Cheese
Links
- Made from which milk
- 🥛 Cow's milk
- Traditions
- Slovenes
- Part of
- 🪨 Hard cheeses, 🏷️ Protected cheese names, 🇸🇮 Slovenian cheeses
Frequently asked questions
What size and weight is Tolminc?
A wheel 23–27 cm across and 8–9 cm high, 3.5–5 kg.
How long does it ripen?
At least 60 days.
Which milk is used?
Raw or thermised cow's milk, at least 80 % from brown cows.
How does it taste?
Sweet and piquant; the paste is yellow, flexible, with lentil-sized eyes.
Is it true that Tolminc is a new cheese?
No. The first records date from the 13th century, and in 1756 the name is on a price list in Udine.
Similar
Nanoški sir · Bovški sir · 🧀 Džiugas · Imokilly Regato · 🧀 Queso Casín · Teviotdale Cheese
ℹ️ Dairy products contain lactose and milk proteins: if you are lactose intolerant or allergic to milk protein, ask a doctor.