In Macedonia, cheese is the ultimate part of the table, part of the story, part of the land. Behind every bite of white cheese, every slice of yellow kashkaval, there’s someone who wakes up at dawn, milks the animals, stirs the curd, and trusts time to do the rest.
This is not industrial. This is not fast. This is real.
Let’s take a closer look at the most beloved Macedonian cheeses and the quiet heroes who make them.
1. Belo Sirenje – The Heart of Every Table
This white brined cheese is Macedonia’s signature. Made from sheep, cow, or goat milk, it’s stored in salty brine until it becomes perfectly crumbly or creamy.
Sheep milk gives a rich, almost buttery depth. Approx. 25-28% fat, 18-20% protein.
Cow milk makes it smooth, soft, and mild. Approx. 20-22% fat, 16-18% protein.
Goat milk adds a sharp, slightly tangy note, loved by those who like stronger flavors. Approx. 22-24% fat, 18-19% protein.
You’ll find this cheese everywhere: on fresh salads, next to warm pita or inside pita, with watermelon in summer, with hot beans in winter. In villages, it’s made by families who still follow old methods, using wooden tools and natural rennet. These are people who know their animals by name, treat them with care, and see them as partners, not just producers.
Belo sirenje is our pride. It’s memory, tradition, and community. There's no other cheese like our Macedonian white cheese in brine.
2. Kashkaval – The Golden Slice
Kashkaval is Macedonia’s semi-hard yellow cheese, often made from cow or sheep milk. It’s aged, shaped into big wheels, and sliced thick. With a firm texture and a nutty, slightly salty flavor, it’s perfect grilled, grated over pasta, or eaten cold with olives and bread.
Cow milk kashkaval: Approx. 26-28% fat, 20-22% protein.
Sheep milk kashkaval: Approx. 28-30% fat, 21-23% protein.
Good kashkaval has that smell: nutty, warm, deep. The kind that brings you back to your grandmother’s kitchen. In the regions around Kriva Palanka and Mlečanica, you can still find people who make it the traditional way, patiently aging it on wooden shelves, turning the wheels by hand, and checking the smell every few days like an art form.
This cheese is often part of meze plates, and it shines in cheese plates we call "daska" or breaded kashkaval.
3. Urda
Urda is a soft cheese made from whey, the leftover liquid after other cheeses are made. But don’t call it a leftover. It’s a miracle of efficiency. It’s light, slightly sweet, and fluffy.
Urda (ricotta-style): Approx. 10-12% fat, 15-18% protein.
Fresh urda is a spring favorite, sold in open markets wrapped in cheesecloth. It’s used in pastries, pitas, and egg omelets. In many homes, urda is made after making sirenje, a way to honor every drop of milk.
Macedonian grandmothers swear by it, and you’ll often hear things like “Urdata denes e bash dobra” as they spread it on warm bread straight from the oven.
4. Bieno Sirenje – The Pulled Wonder
This cheese isn’t made. It’s crafted. Bieno sirenje is created by heating the curds and pulling them into elastic strings, then braiding or shaping them. It has a unique texture: chewy, soft, and slightly salty.
Bieno sirenje: Approx. 20-23% fat, 18-20% protein.
You’ll find it mostly in Bitola, Prilep, and Resen, sold at markets by smiling women with trays covered in linen. It’s perfect with beer, rakija, or just some fresh vegetables on the side. Kids love its fun, stringy texture. Adults love its rich simplicity.
More Than Cheese – It’s a Way of Life
In Macedonia, the best cheeses come from villages where time moves slower. Where animals graze on mountain herbs, not pellets. Where farmers still follow the weather, not algorithms. These people don’t just produce food. They preserve heritage.
They wake early. They carry buckets. They laugh when the milk spills and smile when the curd sets just right. They taste with their fingers and trust their noses. They make cheese that tastes like something.
When you buy cheese from a local farmer, you’re not just supporting tradition. You’re tasting it.
Planning to Visit Macedonia?
Don’t leave without trying local cheese at a market in Bitola, a mountain village near Mavrovo, or a roadside stall on the way to Kratovo. Ask for the homemade one. The one that doesn’t have a label, just a story.
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