Description
The Olomoucké Tvaruzky PGI is a low-fat, cow's milk-based table cheese, sour curdled.
Production Area
The production area of Olomoucké Tvaruzky PGI covers the ethnographic area of Haná, in particular the city of Olomouc, in the homonymous region.
Production Method
After having broken the curd, salt is added and the mix has to rest in silos. Then fermentation agents and acidity regulators are added and the cheese is mixed until obtaining soft and mouldable dough, ready to be put in suitable moulds. Later a first ripening period takes place in rooms with controlled temperature and humidity during which the cheese's surface starts to ripen. Then the moulds are washed on the surface to eliminate excess yeasts and they have to rest for the second ripening period. In this phase, the rind becomes waxy and this gives Olomoucké Tvaruzky PGI its distinctive taste and colour.
Appearance and Flavour
Olomoucké Tvaruzky PGI has different even shapes (disks, rolls, rings etc.), but also uneven shapes. The rind is waxy and has a characteristic gold-yellow colour, whilst the dough is lighter in colour and has from soft to semi-soft consistency.
History
Olomoucké Tvaruzky PGI is the Czech cheese par excellence: one of the most famous and appreciated cheeses. Documents that mention this product are dated back to the 15th century, and many sources demonstrate that in the following centuries it was produced and consumed usually by the citizens of Olomouc and its surroundings. In 1872, in Vienna, it won an important prize during the first international fair, which was organised in Austria, of dairy products and therefore it has become also famous out of national borders. It is mentioned in different encyclopaedias, cookbooks and in almost all the touristic regional guides. A museum was dedicated to this product in 1994.
Gastronomy
Olomoucké Tvaruzky PGI has to be stored in a fresh and dry place or in the least cold compartment of refrigerator. It can be eaten either alone - simply spread on bread with butter and thin-sliced onion - or used as an ingredient for different recipes from the Polish tradition. For example, in Olomouc region, this cheese is eaten after having made it rest for a pair of days in a glass or china pot covered with a mix of oil, beer, cumin and paprika. Plus, Olomoucké Tvaruzky PGI can be stuffed with salami and paprika and then fried. The perfect combination is with a cool Czech beer.
Marketing
The product is sold as Olomoucké Tvaruzky PGI. It is sold in little round moulds, in disks and in rolls, with a weight of 20-30 gr.
Distinctive Features
Olomoucké Tvaruzky PGI is characterised by a very complex aroma and flavour which can be also very pungent depending on the ripening level of the cheese.
