As a physical border between Romania and Ukraine, the Tisza River curves through the deep valleys carved out along the Ukrainian Carpathians, where it originates. It then crosses Hungary, before joining Serbia to flow into the Danube. A long way to go for one of Europe's most fish-rich rivers. Guided by the Tisza for fifty kilometres from the Romanian border, we reach the small town of Rakhiv in Ukraine. The valley is home to many villages with beautiful, colourful Orthodox churches. Wedged between mountain ranges over 1000 metres high, the town of Rakhiv is home to a population of Hutsul shepherds who are skilled in the traditional production of a cheese : the "Brynza". Hutsul is the name of the people who have inhabited most of the south-eastern Carpathian region for generations. Brynza is the historical name of the cheese, usually made from sheep's milk, produced in the Carpathians and found not only in Ukraine, but also in Slovakia, Romania, Hungary, Moldavia, Serbia and Poland. As you can see, the history of Brynza cheese goes back well before the establishment of the current borders between all these European countries ! Initially derived from the Romanian word "brânză", which means "cheese", the term and its pronunciation have evolved from region to region into brynza, bryndza, bryndzia... Today, behind the same etymological root lies a wide variety of cheeses, produced from livestock rearing and cheese-making methods inherited from the traditions of each country or region.
Taras Antonyuk welcomed us to Rakhiv and taught us all about the local "Brynza". He is an expert in rural development in Transcarpathia and manages the promotion of traditional cheeses in the region. Taras and his wife, Hanna, have been part of a team of experts for several years to get "Brynza" made in the Hutsul region recognised and defended by a PDO. Today, thanks to their contribution and the work of their team, there is not one, but two PDOs for Hutsul "Brynza"! Indeed, Hutsul "Brynza" is made from sheep's milk in the Rakhiv district and from cow's milk in the Verkhovyna district, a little further up the valley. The same name for two different cheeses ? No, because this is where the identity of the cheeses takes hold: in the Verkhovyna region is produced "Bryndza" ("бриндзa" in Cyrillic) made from cow's milk, and in the Rakhiv region is produced "Bryndzia" ("бриндзя" in Cyrillic) made from sheep's milk. We warned you, there are many stories behind the one called "Brynza" !
Photo. Historical evidence of the name "Bryndzia" used in the Rakhiv district: the name "бриндзя" was exported as "Bryndza" by transliteration from the Cyrillic script into the Latin script. The transliteration removed the initial pronunciation of the character "я" (pronounced "ia").
In the Rakhiv region, in the winter period, all the sheep have come down to the valley, including the 50 ewes of Dmytro Shushman (« Dima ») and Oleksandr Martyn (« Sasha »), who welcomed us to their sheepfold with Taras. Although there is no real control of sheep breeds here, most of the sheep in the valley are Ukrainian Carpathian mountain sheep. Here they are also called Hutsul sheep, just like the Bryndzia or the flock dogs that protect them at high altitudes. "Everything that comes from here is called Hutsul", says Taras with a laugh. When we arrive, the snow starts to fall on the sheepfold. But it is not enough to cool Dima, who shows us the thick woollen shirt he is wearing under his jumper. The ewes are not much colder. They are comfortable with the harsh winters and wait for spring to climb the mountain towards their high pasture, known here as "Polonyna". There, they can taste the 64 species of plants found in the soil at an altitude of 1000 metres.
Photo. Discussion between Taras (left), Bastien and Dima (right)
Photo. Dima and Sasha's sheep in the winter sheepfold
At the beginning of May, the ewes begin their journey to the mountains and it is not without making a little noise in the valley. The transhumance to the Polonynas is an important event that is celebrated in this area. It is on the occasion of the Mira festival that the transhumance to the Polonynas starts. During this event, the flocks leave not only their winter homes, but also their owners! The ewes' stay in the Polonynas is organised like a holiday camp : the owners entrust their animals to the person in charge of the highland farm, called the Vatah. He is in charge of making cheese in the Polonyna. He is also responsible for the safety of the animals in the mountains: grazing management, milking, wolf attacks, all facets of sheep farming are under his responsibility for the next five months. To ensure the successful completion of the stay, the Vatah is accompanied by a few shepherds, at a rate of one for every hundred ewes, to watch over the flock and ensure milking. In the Polonyna, the shepherds travel 10 to 15 kilometres a day with the flock and keep watch at night to protect the sheep from wolves and bears. Until the end of September, the shepherds and the Vatah live in the farmhouse at Polonyna, far from the valley. The facilities are rudimentary. The land that makes up the Polonynas is rented for 1 to 5 years, not allowing for long-term investment in facilities.
In the hustle and bustle of the Mira festival, plans are being made for the upcoming activity in the Polonyna. Whether they have three or fifty sheep, the owners who live in the valley contract with the Vatah. They will receive a quantity of cheese according to the number of animals they entrust. Depending on the amount of cheese they receive, they will go to the mountains at a more or less intense pace to bring their due down to the valley. This cheese, which is brought down to the valley on horseback or by a more modern means of transport, is not yet Bryndzia. This one is called "Budz". Once it arrives in the valley, each family transforms the Budz into Bryndzia: the Budz is crumbled, salted and placed in wooden barrels where it can be kept throughout the winter. With a maturation period ranging from one month to two years, Bryndzia is a very successful cheese that Ukrainians like to eat fresh: few Bryndzias are matured for more than three months!
Photos. Wooden barrels used for the conservation of Bryndzia
The large flock of ewes that join the Polonyna is a real patchwork. Bells, buckles, designs cut into the ears, coloured pompoms hanging from the horns... Each ewe has its own distinctive sign which will identify its owner at the end of September, when the sheep return to the valley. Again, a festival is planned for the event where the flock will be sorted and each ewe will go to its own winter home. A great organisation, where as many pens are counted for the sorting of the ewes as there are owners. For the community to which Dima and Sasha belong, there are 250 ewes in the Polonyna for 50 owners!
Photo. The ewes that join the Polonynas each have a distinctive sign (collar, bell, coloured pompom) to identify their owner.
The breeding of sheep and cows for the production of Brynza in the Ukrainian part of Carpathian mountains has retained its authenticity and traditional values. Nevertheless, the decrease of the activity is a fear here as elsewhere, where the activity of breeding in the mountains remains a difficult job. How can we protect livestock farming in the Polonynas and the traditional regional production of Brynza, when Brynza in Ukraine is produced everywhere and in many ways, like Tomme cheese in France ? The specifications of the « Hutsulska ovecha bryndzia » PDO (the protected name for the Hutsul sheep bryndzia) and « Hutsulska korovyacha bryndza » PDO (Hutsul cow bryndza) ensure the maintenance of traditional livestock farming in the Polonynas, without which the activity would tend to decrease drastically. "What we want to do now is to organise the sector so that young people who take over the activity can make a living from it," explains Taras. Today, breeding and production of Brynza are family activities that are passed down from generation to generation by tradition and not for the money. In the region, cheese is primarily a subsistence product and no one knows its production cost or economic value. The creation of PDOs for Hutsul Bryndzia and Hutsul Bryndza in 2019 and 2020 respectively, has led to a sevenfold increase in the selling price of cheese. While Bryndzia used to be sold for around €2.50-3.50 per kilo before the PDOs were created, today it can cost up to €25 per kilo ! This recognition of the quality of the cheese contributes to the sustainability of the breeding activity. Taras is currently leading a project called "Hutsul Cheese Paths", which aims to open up the breeding activity in the Polonynas to tourism by creating a network of hiking trails in the mountains: a concept inspired by the "Route des fromages de Savoie" in France. To complete the discovery, the Hutsul Bryndza Museum run by Olga in Rakhiv is a mine of information for the curious who wish to know everything about the history of this remarkable cheese.
Photo. Logo for the "Гуцульські сирні плаї" (="Hutsul Cheese Paths" in Ukrainian) https://www.hutsulcheese.com
Photo. Hutsul Bryndz[i]a PDOs
We spent an information-rich day with Taras, Dima, Sasha and Olga. It was also our only day in Ukraine. "You have to come back this summer," Taras, Dima, Sasha and Olga insist. To discover the breeding, the milking and the cheese making when the sheep are in the Polonynas, it is really worth the diversions. Having admired photos and videos of the shepherds and flocks in the Carpathian mountains in the summer season, these phrases uttered under the winter snow make us dream of returning here in the summer. Even if our trip to the region was very short, we will remember the warmth of the welcome we received and the generosity towards us. We leave with many memories, but more importantly, with some of the few jars of Bryndzia still available at this time of year.
Just two words: THANK YOU!
Did you know?
- Discover the Polonynas and the making of Hutsul Bryndza
Would you like to discover this traditional breeding activity by yourself? We invite you to visit the Hutsul Bryndza Museum in Rakhiv, where Olga will show you the atmosphere of summer by the fire in the highland farms.
Discover the Hutsul cheese paths by watching this nice video, which perfectly captures the atmosphere that awaits you in the Ukrainian Carpathians:
- French-Ukrainian collaboration
The project to create PDOs in Ukraine was set up by the European Union with the initial ambition of developing appellations for local wine and spirits production in Ukraine. Emmanuel Mingasson is a French consultant. After having worked for many years for the PDO sector in France, in particular for the promotion of Savoy cheeses, Emmanuel joined a team composed of experts (including two other French experts : Angele Postolle and Stéphanie Dagherir) within the 4-year project to develop appellations for Hutsul Brynza in Ukraine. He used his experience and knowledge of the "Route des fromages de Savoie" to implement a similar promotion strategy in the Ukrainian Carpathians. Today, the project is over and Emmanuel has left Ukrainian territory.
But his name caught our attention... Didn't you? Then we have to explain it to you!
Let's leave PDO's aside... Emmanuel Mingasson and Colette Dahan are two passionate travellers who cross the most remote regions of the world in their 4x4 to meet traditional cheese producers. Since the beginning of their adventure in 2000, Emmanuel and Colette have made two long journeys to Asia, which have resulted in photographic exhibitions and the publication of two books: "Rencontres sur la route du lait" and "Voix lactées". Today, they are back on the road for another four years. The Covid wind is blowing them less far this time, and they are heading for Europe. This winter, Emmanuel and Colette are spending it on Norwegian farms! We urge you to visit their website and Facebook page. Support their work by subscribing to their newsletter or by buying their book (a great Christmas present)!
- In Verkhovyna, cheese is smoked
The Verkhovyna district is the heart of the production of cow's milk Hutsul Bryndza. Although the towns of Rakhiv and Verkhovyna are located about one hundred kilometres apart, traditions for the processing of milk and cheesemaking strongly differ between the two areas. In the Rakhiv District, the cheese in the Polonynas is drained in large cloths, which are then hung outside the house to dry and preserve the cheese. In the Verkhovyna district, the capacity for drying cheese outside in the Polonynas is generally not sufficient. Cow's milk cheese in the Polonynas of the Verkhovyna region is therefore smoked to help drying the cheese and ensure its storage.
- Ukrainian names
While the territory of France is divided into regions and departments, the Ukrainian territory is divided into Oblasts (equivalent to regions) and Raions (or districts). The Rakhiv raion is located in the Transcarpathian Oblast, which corresponds to the historical region of Subcarpathian Ruthenia. Subcarpathian Ruthenia belonged to Hungary, Czechoslovakia and the Soviet Union before becoming an Oblast within independent Ukraine in 1991. The mountains of Transcarpathia are inhabited by the Hutsul people. Hutsul people mostly live in Transcarpathia, Ivano-Frankivsk and Chernivtsi oblasts but also in some areas in Romania.
Comments