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Fermentation Atlas

Cheese from Slovenia, the Bovec area in the upper Soča valley, Julian Alps

Bovški sir PDOBovški sir

Bovški sir is a hard, full-fat cheese from Bovec made in the summer grazing season from raw sheep's milk, mostly from the local Bovec sheep, with up to 20% goat's or cow's milk allowed. The curd is cut to pea size, scalded at 44–49 °C, pressed for 4–6 hours, salted and ripened for at least 45 days. Made in 8 steps over 46 days – 47 days. The longest step, ripen, takes at least 45 days (Društvo rejcev drobnice Bovške 2023. Potrjena…). Lactic bacteria of the raw milk and of the optional home-made or selected starter does most of the fermenting.

Key numbers
Main stepat least 45 daysSet[bovski-spec2023]Ripen
Temperature35–36 °CSet[bovski-spec2023]Warm the milk
Fully documentedCheese46 days – 47 daysPDO (EU, 2012; amended 2023); Slovenian geographical indication since 2004Family: Hard pressed ewe cheese family (Manchego and Pecorino Romano as templates)More hard sheep and goat cheesesMore from Slovenia

Recipe

Amounts from a sourceThe specification fixes limits, not a recipe. A wheel is 17–26 cm across, 8–12 cm high and weighs 1.8–4.5 kg.
Raw sheep milk · At least 80% of it from the native Bovec sheep breed and its crosses[bovski-spec2023]
up to 20% of the milkGoat or cow milk · Optional; mostly from the native Drežnica goat; the share must be stated on the label[bovski-spec2023]
Starter · Optional; home-made (a small amount of milk ripened warm for at least 12 hours) or selected cultures[bovski-spec2023]
Rennet suited to hard cheese · Home-made or bought[bovski-spec2023]
Salt · Dry salt or brine[bovski-spec2023]
Starteroptional home-made or selected starter; rennet

Total time across the recorded steps: 46 days – 47 days

Start
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35–36 °C

What changes: Raw sheep milk is warmed in the kettle to about body heat

Step 1 of 8
Warm the milk
Time
Not documented
Temperature
35–36 °C
Set
Salt
None given
Acidity
Not documented
Which microbes the steps name, step by step
Lactic acid bacteria

A home-made starter, made by keeping a little milk warm for at least 12 hours, or a selected culture may be added to speed fermentation.

Flavour
Not documented
Texture
Not documented
Colour
Not documented

Microbes at work in this step

Not documented for this step.

Method

Measured measured in a studySet fixed by a specification or tested recipeReported one source reports itTypical a general value, not sourced for this fermentUnconfirmed not yet checked against a source

What makes this one different

Bovški sir is tied to one native breed, the Bovec sheep, which must give at least 80% of the sheep's milk. It is made only in the summer pasture season and its curd is scalded at 44–49 °C, which gives a hard cheese ready in as little as 45 days.

Milk
Raw sheep milk, mostly from Bovec sheep; up to 20% goat or cow milk
Season
Made during the summer grazing season, while the animals are in milk on pasture
Ripening
At least 45 days; over a year for grating cheese
Size
17–26 cm across, 8–12 cm high, 1.8–4.5 kg
Composition
At least 60% dry matter and at least 45% fat in dry matter

Related ferments

Safety

Bovški sir is made from raw milk, but its curd is scalded and pressed and the cheese is ripened at least 45 days. The specification requires milk quality checks under the law in force. No other safety limits are set.

History and sources

Every number is labelled with how it is known. How this atlas is made

The specification says the Bovec sheep was shaped over centuries on the area's steep pastures, and records that in 1822 the village of Trenta alone kept over 3,000 goats and twice as many sheep. Goat numbers were cut by decree in the early 1950s. Bovški sir became a Slovenian geographical indication in 2004 and an EU PDO in 2012.

  1. [bovski-spec2023] Društvo rejcev drobnice Bovške 2023. Potrjena specifikacija za »Bovški sir« z zaščiteno označbo porekla, št. 324-01-47/2002/68 (Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Food, Slovenia)spec
  2. [ul-2004] Pravilnik o označbi geografskega porekla Bovški sir, Uradni list RS št. 47/2004 (30 April 2004)gov