Zázrivský korbáčik

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Korbáčik is a Slovak cheese made by pulling steamed curd into thin strands and plaiting them into a small whip. It is sold in brine, either smoked or unsmoked, and the Zázrivá and Orava versions hold EU protected names.

Mariuszjbie, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons

Key Facts

Country of Origin	Slovakia
Specific Origin	Zázrivá
Protection	PGI (2007)
Milk Type	Cow
Milk Treatment	Raw or pasteurized
Fat Content	Minimum 25% in dry matter
Rind	Denser outer layer on smoked strands
Texture	Stringy, elastic
Flavor	Savory, mildly acidic
Aroma	Milky, cheesy, smoky (if smoked)
Colors	White to creamy white (unsmoked), golden yellow (smoked)
Forms	Plaited whip-like strands
Also Known As	korbáčik

What is Zázrivský korbáčik Cheese?

Korbáčik is a Slovak cheese, traditionally made from sheep's milk. Two names, zázrivský korbáčik and oravský korbáčik, appear on the European Union list of protected food names with a geographical indication. The recipe and the method behind the two are the same.

Production starts with lump cheese, steamed in hot water and pulled by hand into threads 2 to 10 mm thick. The threads then spend a long stretch soaking in brine with spices. After that they are plaited into small braids, which is where the name comes from: korbáčik means little whip. Some recipes call for smoking.

The threads are dense and elastic. Color runs from pale milky to dark cream, depending on how long the cheese has been aged and whether it was smoked. Smoked korbáčik has a firmer skin around a soft center, and its piquant flavor, gently milky before smoking, picks up extra shades. Made from cow's milk instead, the cheese tastes less pronounced. Fat sits between 20 and 25 percent, and 100 g runs to roughly 240 kcal.

It is eaten as a snack, on a board with bread, fruit and nuts, or cooked into hot dishes such as soups, stews and pasta.