Randy Chandler
Tolminc cheese, known as the 'King of Mountain Heaven' by locals, is a Slovenian semi-hard cheese that takes its name from the city of Tolmin. It has a unique sweet-by-tangy taste and a smooth texture. The cheese is made from raw cow's milk with a fat content of around 45%. The production of Tolminc cheese starts with fermenting the milk for at least 12 hours and then maturing it at room temperature for anywhere between two months and a year. The taste and aroma are defined during the maturing process.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Type of Cheese | Semi-hard |
| Place of Origin | Tolmin, Goriška region, Slovenia |
| Milk Source | Cow's milk |
| Milk Type | Whole or partly skimmed raw milk |
| Fat Content | 45% |
| Taste | Sweet-by-tangy |
| Texture | Smooth |
| Holes | A few |
| Production | Exclusively in the municipalities of Tolmin, Kobarid, and Bovec |
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What You'll Learn
Tolmin Cheese is made from cow's milk with a 45% fat content
Tolmin cheese, or 'Tolminc', is a Slovenian cheese that is made from cow's milk with a 45% fat content. It is a semi-hard cheese produced exclusively in the municipalities of Tolmin, Kobarid, and Bovec in the Goriška region. The cheese takes its name from the city of Tolmin, situated in the high Isonzo Valley (Zgornje Posočje) in Slovenia's northwest, near the Italian border.
The cheese is made from whole or partly skimmed raw milk obtained only from cows that graze in the defined geographical area. The meadows high above the town of Tolmin are ideal for dairy production, and the area has been home to this unique type of cheese for centuries. The cheesemaking tradition in the region emerged as a method of preserving milk, but the quality of the cheese soon became renowned, even being used as a form of currency to pay taxes to land owners.
The production process for Tolmin cheese involves fermenting the milk for at least 12 hours, and the cheese is then matured for anywhere between two months and a year. The cheese has a smooth texture and a unique sweet-by-tangy taste. It is considered a gourmet cheese with an intense bouquet and aromatic flavour. The largest producer of Tolmin cheese is the Planika dairy, based in the town of Kobarid, which makes about 100 metric tons of the cheese annually.
Tolmin cheese is made according to traditional recipes, using unhomogenized milk with a controlled fat content. The production of fodder, milk processing, and all technological processes must be conducted within the Upper Posočje area, ensuring the authenticity and quality of this renowned Slovenian cheese.
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It has a unique sweet-by-tangy taste
Tolmin cheese, or "Tolminc", is a Slovenian hard or semi-hard cheese that takes its name from the city of Tolmin, located in the Goriška region in the northwest of the country. It is made from raw cow's milk with a fat content of around 45%sweet-by-tangy taste, with a smooth texture and only a few holes.
The process of making Tolmin cheese has remained largely unchanged for centuries, although master cheesemakers from Italy and Switzerland have occasionally been brought in to improve the taste and keep up with the latest trends. The production of the cheese starts with fermenting the milk for at least 12 hours, and it can then be matured at room temperature for anywhere between two months and a year. The taste and aroma are defined during the maturing process, but it is the forming process that begins in the milk.
The first documented evidence of cheesemaking in the region dates back to the 13th century, when cheese was used to pay taxes to landowners. The cheese was originally produced in the mountain pastures of the Julian Alps surrounding the valley. The meadows high above the town of Tolmin are ideal for dairy production, and the area is perfect for various types of plants that make its high-altitude pastures prime cow-grazing terrain.
Today, Tolmin cheese is produced exclusively in the municipalities of Tolmin, Kobarid, and Bovec, and only milk from cows that graze on Tolmin flowers can be used to make it. The largest producer is the Planika dairy, based in Kobarid, which makes about 100 metric tons of Tolmin cheese per year.
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The cheese is matured for 2 months to a year
Tolmin cheese, or Tolminc, is a Slovenian cheese that is matured for anywhere between two months to a year. The cheese is made from raw cow's milk, with a fat content of around 45%. The longer the cheese is matured, the smoother its texture becomes, and it typically contains just a few holes.
The process of making Tolmin cheese has remained largely unchanged for centuries. The cheese takes its name from the city of Tolmin, situated in the high Isonzo Valley (Zgornje Posočje) in Slovenia's northwest, near the Italian border. The first documented evidence of cheesemaking in the region dates back to the 13th century, when cheese was used to pay taxes to landowners. The unique local cheese of Tolmin is said to have emerged as a method of preserving milk, but it soon became apparent that the quality of the cheese was exceptional.
The cows that produce the milk for Tolmin cheese are predominantly the Braunvieh breed, and they graze on the alpine pastures of the Julian Alps that surround the valley. The milk is then fermented for at least 12 hours before being made into cheese. The final product is a semi-hard cheese with a sweet-by-tangy taste and a smooth texture.
The taste and aroma of Tolmin cheese are defined during the maturing process, but the forming process starts in the milk. The production of fodder, milk processing, and all technological processes must be conducted within the Upper Posočje area to ensure the authenticity and quality of the cheese.
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It has a smooth texture with a few holes
Tolminc cheese, known as the 'King of Mountain Heaven' by locals, is a Slovenian semi-hard cheese from the Goriška region. It is produced in the municipalities of Tolmin, Kobarid, and Bovec. Tolminc has a smooth texture with a few holes, and its taste is sweet yet tangy.
The cheese-making process for Tolminc has remained unchanged for centuries, although master cheesemakers from Italy and Switzerland have been brought in to improve the flavour in line with the latest trends. The cheese is made from raw cow's milk, with a fat content of around 45%. The milk is fermented for at least 12 hours, and the cheese is then matured at room temperature for anywhere between two months and a year. The taste and aroma are defined during the maturing process.
The cows that produce the milk for Tolminc are predominantly the Braunvieh breed, and they graze on the alpine pastures of the Julian Alps surrounding the high Isonzo Valley (Zgornje Posočje) in Slovenia's northwest, near the Italian border. The meadows high above the town of Tolmin are ideal for dairy production, and the area has a unique microclimate influenced by both Mediterranean and Central European air masses. This climate supports the growth of various plants, making it excellent cow-grazing terrain.
The first mentions of cheesemaking in the region date back to the 13th century, when cheese was used as a form of currency to pay taxes to landowners. The first record of a cheese with the name Tominisk sir appeared in 1756 in a price list from the city of Udine. In the 19th century, cheesemakers from other regions travelled to Tolmin to help local farmers with production problems, and in 1886, they began producing hard cheese. Today, the largest producer of Tolminc is the Planika dairy in Kobarid, which makes about 100 metric tons of the cheese annually.
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Tolmin Cheese is also known as the 'King of Mountain Heaven'
Tolmin cheese, or "Tolminc", is a Slovenian semi-hard cheese that is produced exclusively in the municipalities of Tolmin, Kobarid, and Bovec. It is known among locals as the "King of Mountain Heaven". The cheese is made from whole or partly skimmed raw milk obtained only from cows that graze in the defined geographical area. The meadows high above the town of Tolmin are ideal for dairy production, and the area has been home to a unique type of cheese for centuries. The first mention of cheesemaking in the region dates back to the 13th century, when cheese was used to pay taxes to landowners.
The process of making Tolmin cheese has remained largely unchanged over the years. Master cheesemakers from Italy and Switzerland were sometimes brought in to improve the taste, but the traditional methods have endured. The cheese is made from raw cow's milk, with a fat content of around 45%. After being left to mature for anywhere between two months and a year, the cheese has a smooth texture and a unique sweet-by-tangy taste. The flavour and aroma are defined during the maturing process, but the formation of the cheese begins in the milk.
The largest producer of Tolmin cheese is the Planika dairy, based in the town of Kobarid. They produce around 100 metric tons of Tolmin cheese per year. You can also buy the cheese direct from farms in the region, such as the Kramar Dairy and Cheese Farm. Tolmin cheese is one of the most recognisable typical Slovenian cheeses, and its uniqueness has been recognised beyond Slovenia's borders. In 2012, the European Commission agreed to protect the cheese as a Product with a Designated Origin, effectively prohibiting any outside producer from marketing cheese as Tolmin cheese.
The production of Tolmin cheese is restricted to the Upper Posočje area. The town of Tolmin, from which the cheese gets its name, is situated in the high Posočje Valley in Slovenia's northwest, near the Italian border. The cheesemaking tradition in this region emerged as a method of preserving milk, but it soon became apparent that the quality of the cheese was exceptional. The unique flavour of Tolmin cheese is influenced by the Mediterranean and Central European air masses that affect the region, which is perfect for various types of plants that make its high-altitude pastures ideal for cow grazing.
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Frequently asked questions
Tolmin cheese, known locally as Tolminc, is a semi-hard to hard cheese made from cow's milk. It has been produced in the Slovenian municipalities of Tolmin, Kobarid, and Bovec for centuries.
Tolmin cheese has a sweet-by-tangy taste and an intense bouquet and aromatic flavour. It is smooth in texture and contains a few holes.
Tolmin cheese is made from whole or partly skimmed raw milk obtained from cows that are pastured in the defined geographical area surrounding Tolmin. The milk is fermented for at least 12 hours and then matured at room temperature for anywhere between two months and a year.
You can buy Tolmin cheese directly from farms in the region, such as the Kramar Dairy and Cheese Farm, or from the Planika diary based in the town of Kobarid, which is the largest producer of Tolmin cheese.
