Unquestionably Croatia's best cheese is Pag cheese. It is selling everywhere in Croatia, but it is only made on the island of Pag . Pag cheese regularly wins international awards from cheese associations. It is as sharp and salty as the whole island is. Be careful because you may find yourself addicted.
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In the process of Pag cheese production, whey is produced as a byproduct which is made into dry curd cottage cheese with later processing. Process of production is taking place in strictly controlled conditions that guarantee safety and quality. New plant has modern equipment for cheese production. The whey that is separated in the process of producing the Pag cheese is put into containers where it is cooked until it reaches a certain temperature, when curd shows up on the surface in the form of white foam which lightly thickens. It is then put into linen bags, called "peče", where it colanders until morning at a temperature of 12°C. Expiration date for dry curd cottage cheese is seven days if held at a temperature of 4-8°C.
Dry curd cottage cheese is an attractive, delicious product which strengthens a person's immune system. It is a seasonal product of limited quantity and thus hard to get a hold of. Whey can be used as a medicinal potion right after separation in the process of making Pag cheese, which means before cooking the curd. It should be consumed as soon as possible because it gets sour quickly or it should be cooled at a temperature of 4°C, which will extend its time. From this short story it can be seen that in the process of making Pag cheese other useful and delicious byproducts are made.
I started my day with this plate. Pag cheese combined with grapes are usually my favourite dinner served with a glass of wine. When I eat it for a breakfast, I don't serve wine with it – I prefer to start my day with no alchohol. If you want to combine wine with Pag cheese, I would definitely recommend you mature red wine eventhough many people enjoy in cheese with the white wine. It shouldn't be a problem but the red wine will surely be more compatible and if I have to specialize one, I would recommend Boškinčić (from Hotel Boškinac, one of the best red wines on this area) or Tramontana Cuvee – traditional mix of Vranac and Syrah (Vina otoka Paga). If you are a Plavac lover, try that combination also, both are Dalmatian products.
Every time I start my day with this cheese, I get the smile on my face. I can only say ''Cheese'' and take a happy selfie :)!
