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Fermentation Atlas

Cheese from Slovakia, Zázrivá

Zázrivské vojky

Zázrivské vojky are long strings of steamed cheese from the village of Zázrivá. Soured cow-milk lump cheese is grated, steamed in water at 70–95 °C, kneaded and pulled by hand into strings 2–16 mm thick that drop into cold water. The strings are wound, tied in bundles, salted in saturated brine and sold plain or cold-smoked. Made in 8 steps over 2 min – 10 min. The longest step, pull the strings into cold water, takes 2–10 min (European Union 2012). Salt is up to 5.5 % (European Union 2012). Heat-tolerant lactic acid bacteria of the genera Lactococcus, Streptococcus and Lactobacillus does most of the fermenting.

Key numbers
Main step2–10 minSet[oj2014][sk-spec]Pull the strings into cold water
Temperature70–95 °CSet[oj2014][sk-spec]Steam in hot water
Saltup to 5.5 %Set[oj2014][sk-spec]Salt in saturated brine
AciditypH 4.9–5.2Set[oj2014][sk-spec]Sour the lump cheese
Fully documentedCheese2 min – 10 minPGI (EU No SK-PGI-0005-01026; registered 2014)Family: Pasta filata (stretched-curd) cheese familyMore stretched-curd cheesesMore from Slovakia

Recipe

No fixed amounts recordedThe specification gives no batch amounts. Packs weigh 100 g as standard, or 130, 150, 250, 500 and 1000 g.
Cow-milk lump cheese (hrudkový syr) · Made from raw or pasteurised cow milk with a lactic acid culture; at least 48 % dry matter, at least 35 % fat in dry matter[oj2014][sk-spec]
Hot water · 70–95 °C, for steaming the grated cheese[oj2014]
Cold drinking water · The pulled strings drop straight into it[oj2014]
Saturated salt solution[oj2014]
Hardwood smoke (smoked version)[oj2014][sk-spec]
Starter: lactic acid culture (in the lump cheese)

Total time across the recorded steps: 2 min – 10 min

Start
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Milk sugarLactic acidpH 4.9–5.2shapes, not to countLactococcusStreptococcusLactobacillus

What changes: Lactic bacteria sour the cow-milk lump cheese until it will stretch

Step 1 of 8
Sour the lump cheese
Time
Not documented
Temperature
Not documented
Salt
None given
Acidity
pH 4.9–5.2
Set
Which microbes the steps name, step by step
Lactococcus
Streptococcus
Lactobacillus

The lump cheese is used once its acidity and stretching ability are right; where it comes from does not affect the product. Output: lump cheese ready to steam.

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

It uses the same steamed cheese as the plaited Zázrivský korbáčik but sells it as loose strings, pulled long and thin and tied in bundles instead of braided.

Shape
Strings 10–70 cm long and 2–16 mm thick, sold loose or twisted, often tied in the middle
Composition
Dry matter at least 40 %, fat in dry matter at least 25 % (26 % in the Slovak specification), salt at most 5.5 % (unsmoked) or 6.0 % (smoked)

Related ferments

Variants

  • UnsmokedWhite to creamy white, at most 5.5 % salt.
  • SmokedCold-smoked over hardwood until golden yellow, at most 6.0 % salt.

Safety

The grated cheese is steamed in water at 70–95 °C and the strings are salted in saturated brine.

History and sources

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

Local tradition dates the making of cheese strings in Zázrivá to the second half of the 19th century, when steamed cheese was the main cash income of sheep and cattle farmers. Women still pass on the skill of pulling strings, and the village fair holds pulling contests.

  1. [oj2014] European Union, Single document 'Zázrivské vojky', EC No SK-PGI-0005-01026-13.08.2012, Official Journal C 109, 11.4.2014, p. 27 (2014/C 109/04)spec
  2. [sk-spec] Úrad priemyselného vlastníctva SR, Špecifikácia 'Zázrivské vojky' (CHZO, application under Regulation (EC) No 510/2006)spec
  3. [uk-register] GOV.UK protected food and drink names register, 'Zázrivské vojky' (PGI)gov