-
Cheesemaker and shepherds - Ivan Kurinčič
-
Rok Stres showing the formation of Tolminc cheese - Špela Ledinek Lozej
-
Ripening of Tolminc cheese - Špela Ledinek Lozej
-
Wheels of Tolminc cheese - Špela Ledinek Lozej
-
Pressing Tolminc cheese - Barbara Ivančič Kutin
-
Formation of Tolminc cheese - Barbara Ivančič Kutin
-
Ripening of Tolminc cheese - Špela Ledinek Lozej
-
Ripening of Tolminc cheese - Špela Ledinek Lozej
-
Transportation of cheese models - Špela Ledinek Lozej
-
Cows of the brown breed at pasture - Špela Ledinek Lozej
-
Turning the cheese over - Špela Ledinek Lozej
-
Tolminc cheese - Miha Peče
-
1970
2011
2018
Making Tolminc cheese
(Tminc)
Tolminc cheese is one of the most recognizable Slovenian cheeses. It received its name after the town of Tolmin situated in the southern Julian Alps. It is a hard, full-fat cheese made from raw or thermised cow's milk within the defined geographical area of the Upper Soča Valley (Zgornje Posočje). Tolminc was granted a geographical indication at the national and European levels. Only cheeses that meet the requirements of the Specifications for Tolminc Cheese, as certified by the inspection body, can claim the EU-wide Protected Designation of Origin (PDO) mark.
Prior to their official PDO recognition, Tolminc-like cheeses had enjoyed a storied local tradition already. A legend is known in the Upper Soča Valley – and also among other Alpine nations – narrating how locals were taught to make cheese by the "savage man". Linguistic and legal history research indeed supports the assumption that the (Romanized) inhabitants of the Eastern Alps possessed dairying knowledge, which they later transmitted to the newcomers. Across the times, several historical records mention cheese as a means of payment for taxes due to the lord of the land. It first appeared under the name ‘Formaggio di Tolmino’ (cheese from Tolmin) in 1756, on a cheese pricelist in the town of Udine. Dairying became even more significant here with the systemic efforts of the Austrian Monarchy in the 19th century. The regional agricultural societies published professional literature, invited experts from Switzerland to teach local cheesemakers and encouraged farmers to establish and join dairy cooperatives, whose purpose was to improve production quality according to strict rules regarding quantity, condition and hygiene of the delivered milk; and to increase profit. The production of cheese was incorporated into the Alpine herding system and the circulation of livestock between valley and mountain pastures, so that it could be sustained either in the valley or at the mountain dairies. In the second half of the 20th century – due to the centralisation of agriculture and extensive de-agrarisation – only a single consolidated dairy remained in the area: the Planika Dairy in Kobarid. In addition to its legacy, the knowledge of processing milk into proper Tolminc cheese was preserved by individual cheesemakers who continue to manufacture their product in the smaller (Alpine) dairies.
In 2012, Tolminc cheese was awarded its Protected Designation of Origin (PDO) at the European level. Since then its production has been subject to standardization and certification processes, and in fact only two certified producers currently exist: the Planika Dairy and the Tolminc Cheesemaking Association, a collective of several smaller cheesemakers.
Similar Tolminc cheese is also sold on the market, not labelled PDO but produced at the Planika Dairy as a collective trademark. Several smaller producers or alpine dairies make their unlabelled yet highly traditional variety of hard cheese from the Upper Soča Valley as well.
According to Tolminc cheese specifications, it must be made from raw or thermised (57–68 °C) unskimmed cow’s milk produced in the Upper Soča Valley geographical area. At least 80 % of the milk for production must be obtained from cows of the brown breed. The cows are fed with bulk fodder (pasture, hay, silage) from the local geographical area. Tolminc cheese is made from matured milk to which fresh milk may be ad ded before coagula tion. The ripening of milk lasts for at least 12 hours; this develops the autochthonous microflora and ensures that the milk has an appropriate level of acidity. To speed up fermentation, it is permitted to use homemade starter cultures or selected cultures. The addition of rennet is followed by coagulation of the milk, which lasts 25-35 minutes at a temperature between 32 °C and 34 °C. Manipulating the coagulum accelerates the process of whey extraction and enables curd grains of an appropriate size to be produced. In the first phase, the hard coagulum is suitably cut up, initially into large squares. Next, the curd grain is broken down into hazelnut-sized pieces. The correct curd grain consistency is obtained by heating and drying. The curd grain is heated to 44-48 °C and then dried, with constant stirring until the appropriate consistency is obtained. The formation of the cheese and the separation of the curd from the whey may be done in different ways, depending on the possibilities and the technical equipment available to individual dairies. Pressing the cheese into 3.5 – 5 kg wheels takes 6 to 12 hours in appropriately heated premises. Turning the cheese over during pressing is intended to speed up the extraction of whey, distribute the water contained in the cheese evenly, and give the cheese a better shape. It is then salted in brine between 24 and 48 hours. After salting, each wheel is marked with the date of the start of the maturing or the batch designation. Tolminc cheese must mature for at least two months. It is very important that the cheese is looked after (turned, wiped, cleaned) while maturing at room temperature.
In the past, local cheese was intended primarily for sale. Domestic consumption used only cheese of poor quality or whey cheese, made from whey left over from cheesemaking. Nowadays PDO certified Tolminc cheese is retailed as a local specialty and offered independently or as an integral part of more complex dishes in restaurants. However, uncertified Tolminc-like cheese, produced in smaller alpine dairies is distributed through informal channels to relatives and acquaintances.
Tolminc cheese and dairying in general plays a significant role in the local economy, awareness and identifications.
HISTORICAL-ANALYTICAL NOTES
First written records mentioning the processing of formed cheese in the Tolmin region date back to the 12th and 13th centuries. In the land register of the Tolmin region, it is documented that in 1338 the Kašina mountain pasture under Mount Krn, owned by the Patriarchs of Aquileia, was rented out for the reimbursement of duties in the form of cheese, in Latin caseus. It first appeared under the name ‘Formaggio di Tolmino’ (i.e. cheese from Tolmin) in 1756 on a cheese pricelist in the town of Udine. Until the second half of the 19th century, cheese was mostly made from mixed sheep or goat milk and skimmed cow milk. Major contributions to the quality of Tolminc were made by various master makers, who as far back as the late 19th century, under the auspices of the Agricultural Society in Gorica, arrived to the Tolmin area and helped the locals solve their cheesemaking issues. It was in the Razor alpine dairy and in the Poljubinj dairy under the leadership of master Thomas Hitz from Switzerland that the production of hard cheeses improved considerably. In the following decades, on the basis of the Poljubinj example and under the theoretical and practical education and control of Hitz’s pupil Josip Leban, dairies in Ljubinj, Zatolmin, Čadrg, Ravne, Idrsko, Prapetno, Dolje, Volče, Gabrje, Krne and Žabče followed, whereby in wintertime the cooperatives would operate in the village, and in the summertime in the alps. In 1925 the Cooperative Association published an extensive guide on dairying, written by regional dairy trainer and teacher Anton Pevc, titled Dairying (Sirarstvo, 1925), in which the dairying procedures and technology are described in detail. At that time Tolminc cheese still had no clearly specified production rules, not even regarding milk, since it is alleged cow milk was still being mixed freely with goat and sheep milk. In 1933 a dairy school offering winter courses was built in Tolmin, operating until 1945. In the second half of the 20th century the dairies consolidated into the Mlekosir Dairy in Tolmin, which produced cheese and butter under the Planika trademark. Its cooperative dairy in Kobarid was built in 1957 and began making, among other cheeses, also the Tolminc. Dairying legacy and traditional good practices have been preserved in what is now the Planika Dairy, the major producer of PDO Tolminc, and in some small (alpine) dairies.
LEARNING AND TRANSMISSION
In the past, till the second half of the 19th century, transmission of the dairying knowledge was carried out from cheesemaker to apprentice, via learning-by-doing. In the second half of the 19th century the improvement of dairying was triggered by the Agricultural Society in Gorica. The representative at the committee for the Upper Soča Valley was Fran Povše, at the same time a teacher and headmaster of the Slovenian department of the agriculture school in Gorica (founded in 1870) and editor of Gospodarski list (The Economic Newspaper). He drew attention to the significance and need for organization as well as improvement of dairying following the Swiss example and published the first translation of the book of Gustav Wilhelm titled Planšarstvo (Mountain Pasturing, 1871). He also invited over a noted expert from Switzerland, Thomas Hitz, who began teaching in Poljubinj and the Razor alp the subject of modern dairying, and with the financial support of the Austrian Imperial-Royal Ministry of Agriculture arranged a modern dairy in the Razor alp. The Agricultural Society in Gorica also organised dairying courses with Thomas Hitz in the Razor alp and at the Poljubinj dairy for invited scholarship apprentices, as well as shorter ones for cheesemakers from the neighbouring areas. Thomas Hitz eventually became an itinerant dairy teacher, succeeded by his pupil Jožef Leban.
In 1925 the Cooperative Association published an extensive guide on dairying, written by regional dairy trainer and teacher Anton Pevc titled Sirarstvo (Dairying, 1925), in which the dairying procedures and technology are described in detail. At that time Tolminc cheese had no clearly defined production rules, not even regarding milk, since it is alleged cow milk was still freely mixed with goat and sheep milk. In 1933, a dairy school offering winter courses was established next to the dairy in Tolmin, operating until 1945. A one-month course was obligatory for all cheesemakers in the alpine and valley dairies, otherwise they were supposed to have a trade supervisor. In the second half of the 20th century, dairying knowledge was transmitted at the Dairy School in Kranj, however in the 70s of the 20th century, dairying knowledge in the alpine dairies specifically began disappear as a result of a general population abandonment of the alps and the emerging mass transport of milk to bigger dairies in the valley.
In 1999, the Tolminc Cheesemaking Association was established with the aim to obtain a PDO geographical indication for traditional Tolminc cheese. They also compiled specifications for its production, which must be followed by recognized producers, and – together with other local actors, the Triglav National Park Public Institution, regional development and tourist agencies, and municipalities – implemented several projects: a dairy study centre was arranged in the village of Krn, several courses were organised, and various awareness-raising events promoted.
COMMUNITY
The role of Tolminc cheese in the Tolmin region is quite considerable, particularly in the local economy as well as in local identification practices. The most important actors are, naturally, the two certified producers – the Planika Dairy and the Tolminc Cheesemaking Association uniting three makers of PDO Tolminc cheese (the Lovrč and Kumr farms in Čadrg, and the Gugala dairy in Zatolmin) and several other smaller and alpine dairies. Production also involves local farmers who supply milk to the Planika Dairy (around 100 farmers from the neighbouring municipalities), as well as several local retailers and restaurants, and store chains that distribute and sell it. The Planika Dairy also opened a museum Od planine do Planike (From an alp to Planika), which showcases traditional Alpine farming and dairying. Tolminc cheese is promoted by local tourist organizations and development agencies, by the municipalities of Kobarid and Tolmin, as well as by the Triglav National Park Public Institution across various events, fairs and festivals, and through different development projects. Thus, besides playing a part in the local economy, Tolminc cheese is also well integrated in the local awareness, identification and self-representation practices based on local heritage.
PROMOTIONAL ACTIONS
The number of PDO-certified Tolminc cheese producers is surprisingly small. As of 2018, there are just two registered producers: the Planika Dairy, and the Tolminc Cheesemaking Association which unites three smaller cheesemakers and local farms. The low number can be partially ascribed to the unfamiliarity with the PDO certification, and partially to the general private disinterest in acquiring the PDO due to the technologically, administratively and economically demanding certification process. On the other hand, quite a few lovely minor producers of Tolminc-like cheeses are booming: as commented by local cheesemaking authority Danijel Čotar: "There is a wide variety of the same product; therefore, the producers can hardly follow the PDO requirements for standardization. The traditional folk technologies are soft, difficult to keep under precise control and therefore do not always yield the expected results."
Initial activities to preserve the production of Tolminc cheese began in the 1990s. In order to safeguard the product, several projects were implemented by the Triglav National Park Public Institution, local municipalities, regional development agencies, local action groups, producers, and the Tolminc Cheesemaking Association:
- Revitalisation of the alps in the Upper Soča Valley (co-financed by the Phare Progamme);
- Qualified workers, a prerequisite for connecting agriculture, tourism and nature protection in the alps of the Upper Soča Valley (co-financed by the Phare Programme);
- Tolminc Cheese (co-financed by the European Agricultural Fund for Rural Development and the Republic of Slovenia, Slovenian Rural Development Programme, 2007–2013);
- Tasty Cheese Tour (co-financed by the COSME Programme, 2014–2020);
- Modernisation of the Planika Dairy (co-financed by the European Agricultural Fund for Rural Development, 2007–2013).
The awareness of the local cheesemaking and Tolminc cheese was also raised by some local events, e.g. assessment and awarding of cheeses, the food and arts festival Jestival, the Frika Festival ..., which are organised by the local communities, tourism associations, development agencies and heritage institutions.
Past and present cheesemaking is also presented at the exhibition of the Planika Dairy, titled Od planine do Planike (From an alp to Planika), as well as at the Tolmin Museum.
Tolminc cheese was recently also nominated in the Slow Food Arc of Taste.
In addition, Tolminc cheese is also well integrated in the local awareness and the identification and self-representation practices of the local community.
PROTECTIVE MEASURES
The "Tolminc cheese" trademark was used by the Kobarid Dairy since 1957. It was registered as a trademark by the by the Agricultural and Forestry Cooperative Idrija at the Slovenian Intellectual Property Office already in 1995. Simultaneously, attempts to register it as a collective trademark area were underway. It was registered as a collective trademark in 2002 by the Agricultural Cooperative Tolmin, owner of the Planika Dairy.
The Tolminc Cheesemaking Association managed to obtain the awarding of official geographical indication for Tolminc cheese at the Slovenian Intellectual Property Office in 1999. In 2002, it was awarded a Protected Designation of Origin (PDO) at the national level as one of the very first items in Slovenia, but it took until 2012, after some supplementation of specification, for it to receive its PDO at the European level as well.
Related Intangible Heritage
Alpine dairying
Alpine dairying
Mountain fruit growing
Mountain fruit growing
Preparing maslovnik
Preparing maslovnik
Ricotta soup
Ricotta soup
Tolmin frika (frico) dish
Tolmin frika (frico) dish
To learn more
Web Sites
Bibliography
Sirarstvo
Zadružna zveza 1926
Tolminsko sirarstvo: Tisočletna kultura [Tolmin Cheesemaking: a Thousand Years of Tradition]
Self-published 2017
Specifikacija za Tolminc [Official Tolminc Cheese Specification]
Sirarsko društvo Tolminc 2011
Človek v Alpah: Desetletje (1996–2006) raziskav o navzočnosti človeka v slovenskih Alpah [Man in the Alps: a decade (1996–2006) of research on man's presence in the Slovenian Alps]
Založba ZRC, ZRC SAZU 2006
Arkiv za povjesticu jugoslavensku - Razor
Ljudevit Gaj 1854
Mlečne planine v Zgornjem Posočju: O življenju in gospodarjenju na planinah s predelavo mleka [Dairy alps in the Upper Posočje: on milk-related life and economy in the alps]
Javni zavod Triglavski narodni park 2006
Kronika [Chronicle] - Začetki organizacije našega mlekarstva [Organizational Beginnings of our Dairy Industry]
Zveza zgodovinskih društev 1990
Sirarstvo na Tominskem, Kobariškem in Bovškem [Cheesemaking in Tolmin, Kobarid and Bovec]
Kmečki glas 1998
Material resources
The alps Kašina (entry no. 26030), Leskovca (entry no. 316), Lom (entry no. 23311), Slapnik (entry no. 26029), Sleme (entry no. 22189), and Zaprikraj (entry no. 26161) where Tolminc used to be produced are registered as a cultural landscape in the Slovenian Register of Immovable Heritage.
Produced by
Research Centre of the Slovenian Academy of Sciences and Arts - Institute of Slovenian Ethnology - Miha Peče
Scientific Advisor
Ledinek Lozej, Špela
Release Date
28-MAY-2018 (Miha Peče )
Last update
20-NOV-2019 (Špela Ledinek Lozej )
Tweet
From Community
Tell us about it