Parenica facts for kids
Parenica is a special kind of cheese from Slovakia. It's known for its unique shape, which looks like a snail! This cheese is usually smoked, giving it a delicious flavor, but you can also find it without smoking.
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What is Parenica?
Parenica is a soft, stretchy cheese. It's not aged for a long time, so it's called "non-ripening." It's also made by steaming, which helps give it a creamy, yellowish color. When it's smoked, the outside gets a darker color. Each cheese roll usually weighs about 100 grams, which is about the same as a small apple.
How is Parenica Made?
To make Parenica, cheesemakers take long strips of cheese. They then roll these strips up into a spiral shape, much like a snail shell. Long ago, about 200 years ago, this cheese was made only from fresh sheep's milk that hadn't been pasteurized (heated to kill germs). Today, Parenica can also be made from cow's milk or a mix of milks. The steaming process makes the cheese soft and easy to shape.
What Does 'Parenica' Mean?
The name Parenica comes from a word in the Slovak language. It means "steaming," which is a big hint about how this cheese is made! The cheese is steamed to give it its special texture and shape.
Protecting Parenica's Name
Slovenská parenica is a special name for this cheese. It is protected by the European Union. This means that only cheese made in Slovakia using the traditional methods can be called Slovenská parenica. This protection helps keep the cheese's quality and tradition alive. It's like a special badge that tells you where the cheese comes from and how it was made.
See also
- List of smoked foods
- List of cheeses
- List of stretch-cured cheeses
