The Foreigner's Guide to Living in Slovakia

Spending time in a grocery store is one of the first things you can do to become acquainted with your environment in a new country. It’s even a good idea to set time aside to do this so that you can go up and down isles at your leisure, familiarizing yourself with the typical selections of foods and products. Take your time; this should be something that is enjoyable. Becoming familiar with the assortments of different kinds of breads, meats, and dairy products, for example, takes time and experimentation is a large part of the experience.

When in a grocery store in Slovakia and shopping for cheese, you may want to stick with what you are familiar with: cheddar (imported from outside Slovakia), eidam (edam), or swiss (emental), or you may be interested in sampling what the locals eat. Here’s a short list of cheese found in most Slovak grocery stores, with a basic description of each:

Bryndza – Probably the cheese that is most uniquely Slovak. Bryndza is a soft, spreadable cheese made from sheep’s milk. It’s used as a topping on dumplings (bryndzové halušky), pirohy, or used in soup (bryndzová polievka). Bryndza is also used in some very tasty spreads that are served on toast or crackers. Bryndza is sold in range of ways. I have seen it wrapped in cellophane within a thin shaving of wood, or sold in a small cup, about the size of a yogurt cup. I believe I’ve also seen it wrapped in foil like a stick of butter.

Parenica – (pictured right) This is a sheep’s cheese that is made by steaming (“pariť ” means to steam). It is typically rolled up like a long ribbon. Parenica can be smoked, which shows in its golden color, or non-smoked. This cheese is usually shrink wrapped and located next to other hard cheese.

The next four cheeses are Slovak made but cannot be defined as exclusively Slovak. Cheeses very similar to these were and are made in other regions in Central Europe including Poland and Czechia.

Oštiepok – (pictured left) A smoked, hard cheese made from sheep’s milk. It is usually sliced thinly and eaten with bread. This cheese originated in the Tatra Mountains and is also traditionally made in Poland. In Poland the cheese is called oscypek. This cheese is packaged inside of tight shrink-wrapped plastic that makes it look like a mini football and would be carried near other hard cheeses. Not all grocery stores carry oštiepok.

Tvaroh – Tvaroh is a curd cheese, similar to cottage cheese or ricotta. Though this cheese is slightly salted, it is used in many Slovak recipes in cakes and desserts after being sweetened with sugar. Tvaroh is sold in foil blocks that look like blocks of butter.

Korbáčiky – A “korbáčik” is a whip. This sheep’s cheese is a salty string cheese with the strands woven together in the shape of a whip. Korbáčiky can be smoked or regular.

Hermelín/Plesnivec – This cheese is more popularly known as Hermelín, which originates from Czechia. Plesnivec is the Slovak equivalent. Hermelín and plesnivec can be compared to a Camembert or Brie-type of cheese. It’s very soft in the middle surrounded with a hard, edible rind. It can be eaten uncooked with bread, for example, or it can be baked or breaded and fried.

Niva – Niva is another Czech cheese (originally made in the Czech town of Niva) It is a strong (and sometimes smelly) blue cheese. It has a crumbly consistency and can be used to sprinkle on salads or used in mixing and making cream sauces to pour over pasta.

To see more pictures of traditional Slovak cheeses made from sheep’s milk, see MonaMilk.

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