Curd and cheese are among the oldest dairy products, and their ancestral home is in Oriental countries. They appeared in our folk diet as early as the time of the ancient Slavs. The name 'sýr' (cheese) comes from the Proto-Slavic 'sur', which means sour. 'Tvaroh' (curd) derived its name from the word 'tvořiti' (to form/create), because it was placed into various moulds and containers.

Initially, both cheese and curd were made from sour milk; they were offered to the gods and, like porridge, were considered ceremonial foods. In the Middle Ages, the trade of 'syrníci' and 'syrnice' (cheesemakers) flourished. These people traded exclusively in cheese. Until the Thirty Years' War, this craft was at a high level in our country. Unfortunately, during this war, livestock disappeared, and with it, this trade. Cheese was a staple of the folk diet. In Bohemia, pointed cheese cones were made at home, and in Moravia, the popular 'tvarůžky' (ripened curd cheese). The production of sour cheeses was very simple, as it was made from curd, unlike the production of sweet cheeses, which were made using rennet and thus provided a very wide scope for different varieties and flavours.

To preserve the curd, it was dried in cones in the attic. These were eaten with bread in winter or used to make soup. Originally, cheeses were made from goat and sheep milk; production from cow's milk came much later.

Cheese and curd are far superior to meat in their biological value. Although they are acid-forming, they do not contain the harmful purines found in meat. They are an important source of protein, calcium and iron.

Cheese can be considered a staple food because it is very filling.

Cow's Milk Cheeses

Olomoucké Syrečky

were already being made at home during the Thirty Years' War in Moravia, where the first 'tvarůžkárna' (curd cheese factory) was also founded in the 18th century. Previously, they were made from skimmed milk. Today, they are industrially produced from skimmed milk. They are low in fat but have a very high protein content of around 40%.

Goat Cheeses

Unlike sheep cheeses, goat cheeses can be divided according to the method of production: those that are curdled with lactic acid and have a delicate flavour, those curdled with rennet and lactic acid where the cheese ripens under mould, and those curdled only with rennet. This type of cheese has a firm consistency. Young goat cheese is soft and does not usually have a rind. Mature goat cheese has a firm edge but is soft inside. Aged goat cheese is hard and crumbly. The fat content in goat cheeses is approximately between 40 and 60%.

Sheep Cheeses

A typical representative is Slovak Bryndza, which was even exported to America before the war. Production is still the same today as in the old days, when it was made only on mountain farms. It is produced from March to October and is a delicacy on bread with radishes or young leeks. Spring Bryndza is less fatty compared to autumn Bryndza, which was used more for cooking. It is easily digestible and contains calcium and vitamin A. It is also suitable for children and people in recovery; the human body can utilise up to 75% of it, compared to Edam made from cow's milk, of which we only utilise about 50% during digestion.

Other Slovak specialities are steamed cheeses – Parenica and Oštěpek. They have been produced since ancient times, and it is not certain whether they were originally made by the Slavs or if their production was adopted from the Romans. Parenica is more delicate and softer and has a shorter shelf life. Oštěpek lasts a long time and can also be grated. It was often used as a substitute for Parmesan.

Korbáčik

is a braided plait made from sheep's milk, but be careful, it can also be made from cow's milk, so check what kind you are buying when shopping. It is braided into plaits and soaked in a salt solution. It can also be smoked.

Feta Cheese

is made from sheep's milk, sometimes with the addition of goat's milk. It has a higher fat content and is soft and crumbly. It is mainly used in cold cuisine for salads.