Bukovynian bryndza

What it is

In the pastures of Bukovynian Hutsul region — Putyl and Vyzhnytsia — Bryndza is made in the same way as in other Hutsul mountains: milk is curdled with natural rennet (klyah, hlyah), fresh cheese — Budz — is hung to drain and mature, then crushed, mixed with salt, and tightly packed into wooden berbenytsia. A feature of the region is the raw material: alongside sheep's milk, a lot of cow's Bryndza is produced here.

The geographical indication 'Hutsul Cow Bryndza' (2020) covers the pastures of Ivano-Frankivsk, Transcarpathia, and three former districts of Chernivtsi — Putyl, Vyzhnytsia, and Storozhynets. This cheese is made from at least 70% milk of local mountain cows, with a mixture of sheep or goat milk up to 30%, from pastures above 700 m, where livestock grazes from mid-May to the end of September. The taste is milky and slightly salty, becoming sharper over time, with a smoky aroma.

Do not confuse it with Hutsul sheep Bryndza, which is made only from sheep's milk, and with the Bryndza of lowland Bessarabia: in Kelemen, the cheese is salted in brine in whole pieces weighing 1.5–2 kg, and it is hard, while Hutsul Bryndza is crumbly.

History and name

The pasture farming of Chernivtsi was included in the National Register of NCS in 2025 as 'The Tradition of Grazing Livestock on Bukovynian Pastures and Bessarabian Stigmas' (No. 108n.k.s.); according to the description of the element, pasture summering is widespread in Vyzhnytsia, Chernivtsi, and Dniester districts, and among its components, traditional cuisine is mentioned. Shepherds are sent to the pastures on the last Sunday of May: in Putyl since the 1960s, this has been a common holiday for the whole region, while before that, each village sent off the shepherds separately. They return with the first snow — with Bryndza, Huslianka, and wool.

According to a report from 2010, about 2,000 heads of cattle and 3,500 sheep summered on 28 pastures of the then Putyl district, and during the season, about 22 tons of sheep and 19 tons of cow Bryndza were expected. The word 'Bryndza' (also 'brynza', 'brynzi' in the mountains) is related to the Romanian brânză — 'cheese'.

Intangible heritage of Ukraine. Element of the National Inventory of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Ukraine: Традиція випасання худоби на буковинських полонинах та бессарабських стигнах Чернівецької області (серед галузей елемента — традиційна кухня) (No. 108н.к.с., наказ Мінкульту № 268 від 24.04.2025). Sources

ГЗ України (назва місця походження): «Гуцульська коров'яча бриндза — межі охоплюють і Путильський, Вижницький та Сторожинецький райони Чернівецької області» (2020). Sources

Ingredients and allergens

Variant: cow's, with a mixture of sheep's milk

Cow's milkat least 70% milkThe raw material for huslianka, cow's budz, and cheese koniki.Contains allergens: milk

Rennet (klyag)klyah (hlyah)Natural rennet from the stomach of a milk lamb or calf, which causes milk to curdle into cheese.

Sheep's milkup to 30% milk, optionalMilk from sheep that graze on polonyna is the raw material for budz, bryndza, and vurda.Contains allergens: milk

Also: salt (according to technology)

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

Variant: sheep

sheep's milk, rennet (klyag), 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

Milk is strained and curdled with klyah — natural rennet from the stomach of a lamb or calf. The curd is collected into Budz and hung in cloth: the whey drains, and Budz matures in the fresh mountain air, often near a fire, where it is slightly smoked. The utensils and tools are made of spruce, and the work is manual.

Aged Budz is crushed, mixed with salt, and tightly packed into spruce berbenytsia. The longer Bryndza is stored, the sharper and more piquant its taste becomes: the description of the GI even warns consumers that over time the taste becomes sharper and the smell more intense.

For comparison: in the Bessarabian villages of Kelemen, Budz is kept in salt for one to two days, and then poured with cold brine in pieces weighing 1.5–2 kg. The strength of the brine is checked by old housewives with an egg: salt is added until the egg floats 'like five kopecks.'

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 pastures of Bukovynian Hutsul region: the former Putyl and Vyzhnytsia districts (now Vyzhnytsia district); the boundaries of the GI also cover the former Storozhynets district. The area is approximate.

When it is eaten

Occasions: Polonyna (May — September) · Everyday food

In tradition

Bryndza is made throughout the pasture season — from the send-off of shepherds to the mountains on the last Sunday of May to their return with the first snow. At the send-off holiday in Putyl, the group lights a bonfire, guests taste Kulesha, and artisans sell Budz and Bryndza.

Safety

Pasture Bryndza is often made from unpasteurized milk. Pregnant women, small children, and people with weak immune systems should choose cheese made from pasteurized milk or eat Bryndza in hot dishes.

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