In Context: Romanian Cheese

By Falguni Vyas

October 3, 2019

Last Updated: August 24, 2012

In rural Romania, especially in the mountains, it is not uncommon to find small roadside vendors selling cheese and honey. One of the most popular (and most traditional) cheese around is a semi-hard sheep's milk cheese called Kashkaval.

Kashkaval is native to many Balkan countries. It's a tangy yellow cheese that has the taste of lemons and olives; it must be aged for at least six months.

Brânzá de Burduf, found only in Transylvania is another sheep's milk cheese made only by the shepherds native to the area. It is a salty cheese with a strong flavor and soft texture. Sometimes the cheese is kept in pine bark and adopts a pine resin flavor. Branza is aged anywhere from 20 days to 2-3 months. The flavor gets increasingly spicy as it ages.