Bryndza Podhalańska

What it is

Podhalańska bryndza is a soft cheese of white or cream color, resembling a thick paste, sometimes grainy. Its taste is sharp, salty, and slightly sour — the longer the cheese matures, the more pronounced the flavor.

Bryndza is made from bundz — fresh sheep cheese. Bundz matures for several days, then it is ground, salted, and well mixed. As in oscypek, the base here is milk from Polish mountain sheep, to which up to 40% of milk from Polish red cattle is allowed to be added.

The season is the same as for all Podhale sheep cheeses: from May to September. Bryndza is spread on bread and moskole, used in pies, dumplings, and on baked potatoes.

Authentic Podhalańska bryndza is sold in season at bacówkas and markets in Nowy Targ and Zakopane; the packaging must bear the sign of the protected designation of origin of the EU.

History and name

The word 'bryndza' came to the Tatras from Wallachian shepherds; in Romanian, brânză simply means 'cheese'. For the Hutsuls, bryndza was a way to preserve summer milk for winter: tightly packed in wooden barrels, it could last for months.

In 2007, Podhalańska bryndza became the first Polish product whose name was registered in the EU.

In the EU register: protected designation of origin (PDO), registered name «Bryndza Podhalańska», registered in 2007. Sources

Ingredients and allergens

Bundzmatured sheep cheeseFresh rennet cheese made from sheep's milk; in Podhale, it is used to make bryndza and oscypek.Contains allergens: milk

Rennet (klyag)rennet, in the original cheeseNatural rennet from the stomach of a milk lamb or calf, which causes milk to curdle into cheese.

Cow's milkup to 40% in the original milk, optionalThe raw material for huslianka, cow's budz, and cheese koniki.Contains allergens: milk

Also: salt

Contains allergens: milk
Diet: gluten-free · no cooking

Ingredients of the traditional recipe; every cook and every place may do it differently — please ask when ordering. We cannot guarantee the absence of allergens or traces.

How it is made

First, bundz is made from sheep's milk: the milk is set with rennet, the curd is collected in cloth and allowed to drain. The pieces of bundz are left to mature for several days in warmth until the cheese becomes slightly sour.

The matured cheese is broken up, ground or mashed, salted, and mixed until homogeneous. The finished bryndza is tightly packed, without air, into containers — this way it lasts longer.

Where it is eaten

The area is approximate and based on the sources below. The dish is cooked outside it too, and ethnographic borders are blurred.

The Tatra and Nowy Targ counties entirely and six municipalities of the Żywiec county: Milówka, Węgierska Górka, Rajcza, Ujsoły, Jeleśnia, Kościelisko. The Żywiec county is shown on the map as a whole — the area is approximate.

When it is eaten

Occasions: Polonyna (May — September) · Everyday food

Safety

Traditionally, the cheese is made from raw, unpasteurized milk. Pregnant women, small children, and people with weakened immune systems should choose cheese made from pasteurized milk or consume it in hot dishes.

FAQ