Paški Sir

What is Paški Sir Cheese?

Paški sir, also called Pag cheese or Pag Island cheese, is a hard sheep milk cheese from Pag, an island in the Croatian Adriatic. The island has a long tradition of cheese making and agriculture. Until early in the 20th century, islanders kept dry stone huts on the hilly pastures where they milked their sheep and made the cheese.

Nobody owned the pastures then, so the sheep grazed wherever they liked. Once the land passed into private hands, the shepherds moved back into the towns and the old huts became pasture homes. The men commuted out to the flocks, and the women took over cheese making at home. Beyond feeding the islanders, the cheese was traded in markets across Croatia.

The flavor starts with the wind. The Pag Bora, a strong cool dry wind, spreads salt dust over the whole island, and only tough aromatic plants survive it. Sheep eat those plants, the taste passes into their milk, and the milk becomes Paški sir.

Aging runs five to eighteen months depending on what the maker wants, and wheels aged over ten years turn up as well. Seasonal swings in temperature and humidity shape how the cheese matures. Young ones are creamy, yellow, and fresher smelling. Older ones go darker and harder, with a grainy texture and a fuller flavor.

The main producers formed an association to pursue Protected Designation of Origin status, which the European Commission granted on 25 November 2019. The rules govern production technique and the origin of the base products, keeping the cheese tied to Pag. Awards have followed: gold for Paška sirana at the 2017 Global Cheese Awards, a Super Gold for Sirana Gligora at the 2018 World Cheese Awards, and Gold for Paški sir at the 2022 World Cheese Awards.