Delicates: Serbian cheese from donkey milk among the most expensive in the world – BBC News in Serbian
A kilogram of cheese more expensive than the average Serbian salary.
Pula cheese, at a price of 1,200 euros per kilogram, is made from donkey milk.
It is sold exclusively in the special nature reserve « Zasavica », on about eighty kilometers west of Belgrade.
« In order to make one kilogram of cheese, 25 liters of donkey milk, and one donkey is so much for a year and a half, » said Vuk Simic, the manager of « Zasavice », for the BBC in Serbian.
Watch the video BBC in Serbian about donkey cheese, one of the world’s most expensive
Although it is definitely among the most expensive, Pula cheese is still not at the top of the price scale.
The World Record currently holds Spanish Blue Sir KabraLes.
Two and a half kilograms of that cheese were 2024. sold for 36,000 euros, they said from Ginis’ book, a record in written response to the BBC in Serbian.
The cheese of donkey milk is just for those who have money. A lot of money.
Media in Britain they wrote That the best tennis player for all time Novak Djokovic had previously redeemed the entire annual production of the Serbian farm for the restaurant chain.
He reportedly paid for about 480 euros in half a pound.
This information is for Reuters and Daily Mail confirmed The earlier manager is behind Slobodan Simic.
‘The donkeys are like people’
Swan and ducks are placed lazily in slow water Bare Zasavica, hearts of a natural reserve that spreads on 3,600 hectares.
This reserve is special in many ways.
The home is tens of the oldest plant and animal species, hundreds of birds, wild horses, but also several domestic cats that sleep at the rear door of the restaurant cuisine.
Further from the water are the barn.
Magarence, less than 24 hours old, slabs on unstable foot and pushes her head under Mom’s belly – asks to suck.
Lying in mud and hay, this scene indifferent to watch two donkeys of a total of 300, how much he lives in Zasavica, on the largest farm in Southeast Europe.
Although familiar about stubbornness, these animals are very tame and peaceful.
« The donkeys are like people – each individual is for themselves, » says Nikola Nilic, head of the farm, who dedicated the whole working century by taking care of these animals.
« Some are more aggressive, some are calmer, have their own rituals, » he says.
« They like to cuddle, but only a little » adds with a smile.
Life of Males as in Harem
Of the 300 individuals, most are females – Vuk Simic says that the barn shares with them « only a dozen males ».
« They live like in Harem, » he adds.
The animals are steamed for the ninth day after the births, or the dudes, so the donkeys are often in lactation.
Lactation, ie the period of milk secretion, only takes a cub nearby, including Simić.
This allows employees to farms to regularly collect milk to make a precious cheese.
However, it goes slow.
« The donkey a day that only about 300 militers of milk – it’s a little more than a glass of water, » he tells me.
About half of that milk drinks a little neighbors, or Pula.
And in order to make a pound of cheese, 25 liters of fresh milk is required.
What is the secret of making a donkey cheese?
« Secret ingredient, » Nilić smiling mysteriously, who knows the secret of cheese.
« I can’t find out, » our persistent questions refuse.
Vuk Simic, the manager « Zasavice » says that it is the idea of making cheese, his father came free, more than a decade.
One of the statements faced by the technologies that « Zasavica » employed the theater milk texture.
« It’s similar to human, hard-to dress, so it’s not easy to do from him, » says Simic.
« However, after many attempts and failures, we found a solution, » says proud.
In the process of fermentation, the sweet taste of donkey milk changes to something that Simic is hard to describe.
« The taste of the donkey cheese is not comparable to any other. I like to say that it tastes like expensive, » Simic points out.
The BBC journalists have convinced that Pula Cheese has no free sales, nor in export.
Simic says it can only be purchased on their farm in Zasavica, where he does not even have a restaurant offer, but only at the local store.
« It is so precious, because very small quantities are produced annually – only between 25 and 30 kilograms, » Simic explains.
Why doesn’t Serbia export Pula cheese?
There are several donkey farms in Serbia that are less than Zasavica.
They mainly sell milk, show data of the Association of Civalians of Serbia.
There are so few of them, that the total amounts of donkey milk are « are not important for the economy, » they say from the Serbian Chamber of Commerce (PKS) for the BBC in Serbian.
« It doesn’t pay for the purchase of milk from which cheese would be made, » they add from PKS.
Until now, no redemption has been reported, nor exports to this cheese, which should be specially regulated, they say from PKS.
One of the factors is that the prescription is jealous of just one place – in Zasavica.
« For now, we do not have plans to share it with anyone, » Simic points out.
Although there were negotiations with potential exporters, which for now did not bear fruit, the Special Reserve Manager says that exports of Pula Cheese is not on the priority list.
« The voice of us has been in the world, we manage to sell all the cheese we make, » Simic says confidently.
Customers, admits, not much, and mostly it’s « foreigners with a deep pocket, » he adds.
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