Green cheese originates from Bulgaria, the Cherni Vit village of the Lovech district, the Teteven Balkan mountain range. Italian experts from the “Slow Food” society found it shortly after Bulgaria became a member of the European Union in 2007. They communicated with Tsvetan Dimitrov, the mayor of Cherni Vit, asking for more information and samples of the product. Being fascinated, the Italians exhibited cheese samples at the international festival held nearby Torino. Note that our cheese was proclaimed there as the only Balkan milk product with natural mould.
For now, green cheese is offered in small quantities but things can change in the near future. The conditions of preparation are quite specific, and the lack of effective consumption and sale legislation hampers to a certain extent the popularization of that extremely aromatic and tasty Bulgarian cheese.
Green cheese production demands milk from a so-called black Teteven sheep, wooden barrels, and the specific micro-climate of the mountain range of Teteven. Sheep pastures are specific with their local grass and herbs, and milk composition and quality allow the growth of green mould in the cheese. Note also the importance of the wooden barrels where cheese matures, while brine and milk magically generate its flavor and delicate taste. Having matured for 60 days, the cheese is extracted from the brine and stays 10 days in the open air to grow mould and gain the specific aroma. All this happens at an altitude of 1200 m, whereas the summer temperature differences are large and winter temperatures are low. Air is cool and healthy, aromatized by the wild Balkan mountain, and untouched by any pollution. Hence, after several months of processing, cheese can be stored for 12, 24, or even 36 months. The longer the maturing, the fuller the cheese taste and the more aromatic the mould.
In contrast to most of the mould cheeses offered on the market, the green cheese mould grows naturally without any human interference. There is no chemistry or addition of artificial mould or preservatives, i.e. the product is 100% ecological and clean. In the years of mass usage of plastic containers, some local producers used them for convenience. However, they were deeply disappointed to find that no green mould grew in plastic barrels.
Locals needed a few hundred years to get used to the aroma of that incredible cheese. Owing to their ingenuity and adherence to the specific recipes handed down from one generation to the next one, we are now able to consume the only Balkan green cheese with natural mould. For now, the quantities are small but more and more residents of Cherni Vit offer green cheese, and it slowly but steadily grows more and more popular even in America. Many tourists and connoisseurs of good food and cheese visit Bulgaria to taste that local legend! The Cherni Vit cheese goes with red and white wine. Add grapes, pears, or any sweet berries to enhance the delicate flavor and get additional pleasure. Visit the Balkan Cherni Vit to taste a product that is authentic, tasty, delicate, and very useful!
Green cheese
