Sirene ( sq, djathë i bardhë; bg, сирене ; mk, сирење; sr, сир, italics=no/) also known as "white brine sirene" ( bg, бяло саламурено сирене, links=no) is a type of brined cheese made in the

Balkans The Balkans ( ), also known as the Balkan Peninsula, is a geographical area in southeastern Europe with various geographical and historical definitions. The region takes its name from the Balkan Mountains that stretch throughout the who ...

(South-Eastern Europe), especially popular in Bulgaria, Serbia, Montenegro, Bosnia and Herzegovina, North Macedonia, Romania, Albania, Greece and also in Israel and Lebanon. It is made of the milk of goats,

sheep Sheep or domestic sheep (''Ovis aries'') are domesticated, ruminant mammals typically kept as livestock. Although the term ''sheep'' can apply to other species in the genus '' Ovis'', in everyday usage it almost always refers to domesticated ...

, or

cows Cattle (''Bos taurus'') are large, domesticated, cloven-hooved, herbivores. They are a prominent modern member of the subfamily Bovinae and the most widespread species of the genus ''Bos''. Adult females are referred to as cows and adult mal ...

, or a mixture of these.,
Characteristics of major traditional regional cheese varieties of East-Mediterranean countries: a review
, Efstathios Alichanidis & Anna Polychroniadou, Dairy Sciеnce & Technology, Volume 88, Number 4–5, July–October 2008 It is slightly crumbly, with at least 46–48% of dry matter containing 44–48% of fat. It is commonly produced in blocks, and has a slightly grainy texture. It is used as a table cheese, in salads, and in baking.

Recipes

Sirene, together with

yogurt Yogurt (; , from tr, yoğurt, also spelled yoghurt, yogourt or yoghourt) is a food produced by bacterial Fermentation (food), fermentation of milk. The bacteria used to make yogurt are known as ''yogurt cultures''. Fermentation of sugars in t ...

, is a national food of all the countries in the Balkans, with many national and regional variations. Traditional dishes using sirene are: Soups: Potato or vegetable soup with sirene (сиренява чорба). Za shopska salata

Salads:

Shopska salad Shopska salad ( Bulgarian, Macedonian and Serbian: ''Шопска салата''; hr, Šopska salata; ro, Salata bulgărească; cs, Šopský salát; pl, Sałatka szopska; sq, Sallatë Shope; hu, Sopszka saláta; el, Σαλάτα σόπσ� ...

with

tomato The tomato is the edible berry of the plant ''Solanum lycopersicum'', commonly known as the tomato plant. The species originated in western South America, Mexico, and Central America. The Mexican Nahuatl word gave rise to the Spanish word ...

es,

bell pepper The bell pepper (also known as paprika, sweet pepper, pepper, or capsicum ) is the fruit of plants in the Grossum Group of the species ''Capsicum annuum''. Cultivars of the plant produce fruits in different colors, including red, yellow, orange ...

cucumber Cucumber (''Cucumis sativus'') is a widely-cultivated Vine#Horticultural climbing plants, creeping vine plant in the Cucurbitaceae family that bears usually cylindrical Fruit, fruits, which are used as culinary vegetables.

onion An onion (''Allium cepa'' L., from Latin ''cepa'' meaning "onion"), also known as the bulb onion or common onion, is a vegetable that is the most widely cultivated species of the genus ''Allium''. The shallot is a botanical variety of the onion ...

s and sirene. Ovcharska salad ("shepherd's salad") with the above-mentioned vegetables, cheese, ham, boiled eggs and olives. Tomatoes with sirene is a traditional light salad during the summer. Eggs: Fried eggs and omelettes with sirene. There is also a popular kind of boiled eggs over mashed sirene with a sauce of yogurt, garlic, parsley and walnuts (яйца по панагюрски; eggs à la

Panagyurishte Panagyurishte ( bg, Панагюрище, also transliterated ''Panagjurište'', ) is a town in Pazardzhik Province, Southern Bulgaria, situated in a small valley in the Sredna Gora mountains. It is 91 km east of Sofia, 43 km north of P ...

). Pasta and cornmeal: For breakfast, macaroni or flat noodles (Bulgarian: "юфка, yufka") with sirene and sugar are popular. Kachamak (the local variant of cornmeal,

polenta Polenta (, ) is a dish of boiled cornmeal that was historically made from other grains. The dish comes from Italy. It may be served as a hot porridge, or it may be allowed to cool and solidify into a loaf that can be baked, fried, or grilled. ...

or the Romanian

mămăligă Mămăligă (;) is a porridge made out of yellow maize flour, traditional in Romania, Moldova and West Ukraine. Poles from the Lviv area also prepare this traditional dish. It is also a traditional dish in Thessaly and Fthiotis, Greece. In Ita ...

) is always eaten with sirene. Pastry: The traditional

banitsa Banitsa ( bg, баница, , also transliterated as banica and banitza) is a traditional pastry dish made in Bulgaria, North Macedonia and Southeastern Serbia (where it may also be referred to as gibanica), prepared by layering a mixture of wh ...

and other kinds of pastry are also made with sirene.

Stuffed peppers Stuffed peppers is a dish common in many cuisines. It consists of hollowed or halved peppers filled with any of a variety of fillings, often including meat, vegetables, cheese, rice, or sauce. The dish is usually assembled by filling the cavitie ...

are more often stuffed with rice, but are also made with sirene-and-eggs filling. Also it is consumed as an appetizer.

Similar cheeses in other countries

Many Balkan and other cheeses are similar to (but not the same as) sirene, and are known by various names. The local consumers of each country are usually well aware of the differences between the various white cheeses. Part of the differences are that the breeds of sheep and goats in each region are different, and their feed may have specific regional characteristics that affect the taste and texture of cheese made from their milk. * Albania: djathë i bardhë - 'white cheese' * Czech Republic: Balkánský sýr - 'Balkan cheese' * Greece:

Feta Feta ( el, φέτα, ) is a Greek brined white cheese made from sheep's milk or from a mixture of sheep and goat's milk. It is soft, with small or no holes, a compact touch, few cuts, and no skin. Crumbly with a slightly grainy texture, it is ...

Protected Designation of Origin The protected designation of origin (PDO) is a type of geographical indication of the European Union and the United Kingdom aimed at preserving the designations of origin of food-related products. The designation was created in 1992 and its main ...

(PDO) * Iran: ''Lighvan'' or ''Tabrizi''

paneer Paneer (), also known as ponir () is a fresh acid-set cheese common in the Indian subcontinent (Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Maldives, Nepal, Pakistan and Sri Lanka) made from full-fat buffalo milk or cow milk. It is a non-aged, non-melting soft ...

- 'Cheese of Lighvan or

Tabriz Tabriz ( fa, تبریز ; ) is a city in northwestern Iran, serving as the capital of East Azerbaijan Province. It is the List of largest cities of Iran, sixth-most-populous city in Iran. In the Quri Chay, Quru River valley in Iran's historic Aze ...

' * Israel: ''Bulgarit'' (בולגרית) - 'Bulgarian (cheese)' * Lebanon: ''Bulghari'' (بلغاري) - 'Bulgarian (cheese)' * Mexico:

Cotija cheese Cotija is an aged Mexican cheese made from cow's milk and named after the town of Cotija, Michoacán. White in color and firm in texture, its flavor is salty and milky. "Young" (or fresher) cotija cheese has been described as akin to a mild feta ...

* Romania:

Telemea Telemea () is the name of a Romanian cheese traditionally made of sheep's milk.About Telemea
at cheese.com

* Russia: Bryndza (Брынза) * Turkey:

Beyaz peynir Beyaz peynir (meaning "white cheese" in Turkish) is a brine cheese produced from unpasteurized sheep, cow or goat milk. The cheese has a slightly grainy appearance and is similar to lighvan, feta, sirene and other Balkan white cheeses. Vege ...

- 'white cheese' * Ukraine: Bryndza (бринза)

References

{{Jewish cuisine Albanian cheeses Bulgarian cheeses Serbian cheeses Sheep's-milk cheeses Cow's-milk cheeses Lebanese cuisine Iranian cuisine Israeli cuisine

Recipes

Similar cheeses in other countries

See also

References