CROATIAN PROTECTED AGRICULTURAL AND FOOD PRODUCTS, PAŠKI SIR

PAG CHEESE PROTECTED DESIGNATION OF ORIGIN Pag cheese ("Paški sir") is a hard sheep cheese characterized by a pleasant sharp taste and a compact closed texture. It can be recognized by its regular low cylindrical shape, flat to slightly convex upper surface and relatively small dimensions (weight up to 3.5 kg). Pag cheese is produced from whole sheep's milk of the native Pag breed of sheep, on the island of Pag and two islands of the Pag archipelago: Maun and Skrda. Pag cheese matures for at least 60 days. Young Pag cheese that matures 2 months is somewhat elastic and easily cut. When cut, the surface of its cross-section may or may not have a small number of sparsely distributed small holes. Its taste is slightly sweet, moderately salty and pleasantly sharp, with a typical note of sheep cheese. It has a pronounced permanent aroma, characteristic of the production area and is reminiscent of Mediterranean aromatic and spicy herbs. During ripening, Pag cheese gradually becomes sharper and the intensity of taste, aroma, scent and color increases, while the cheese dough gains in firmness. Fully mature Pag cheese that has matured 6 months and more has a fine granular structure, and breaks apart unevenly when cut. Its taste is sharp, harmoniously full, it melts in the mouth, and fine "crystals" can be felt under the tongue. The unfavorable geomorphological and pedological characteristics of the island of Pag and specific climatic conditions were the reason behind the development of sheep breeding as the dominant agricultural branch of the islanders, and in the last hundred years the significant cheese production that has become part of local tradition. The Pag sheep breed is unsurpassed in its use of sparse vegetation of rocky pastures and is fully adapted to semi-extensive farming, in which milk production is largely determined by environmental factors. The presence of a large number of aromatic and medicinal plants on the pastures of Pag, often covered with a layer of salt left after frequent strong bora winds, affects the composition of the sheep's diet and the special composition of their milk in terms of fat, protein, sugar and minerals. This milk is rich in compounds that contribute to the specific aroma of Pag cheese of Mediterranean aromatic herbs and its intense taste and sharpness. Given the relatively low weight of ‘Paški sir’, outside weather conditions have a large impact on the maturation process. In the past, it was not possible to control the conditions in the curing house and undesirable microflora would develop on the rind because of high humidity As a result, cheesemakers occasionally washed the cheese manually and coated it with olive oil or some other vegetable oil. This process is still carried out to this day and substantially influences the characteristics of the cheese’s rind, which is hard, smooth and golden yellow to pale reddish-brown in color in mature cheeses. Oiling the cheese after washing, which the cheesemaker carries out at least four to six times during the maturation stage, also has a positive effect on the proper course of the enzymatic processes inside the cheese, as it reduces drying and prevents the proteolytic action of surface flora. The name "Paški sir" was registered at the level of the European Union on 25 November 2019 as a protected designation of origin, which protects it from any form of misuse throughout the European Union. Only those products that have been produced according to the Product Specification for the Protected Designation of Origin "Paški sir" and for which the producers hold a valid Certificate of Conformity of their product with the Product Specification issued by an authorized delegated body may be placed on the market under the name "Paški sir".