''Năsal'' is a traditional Romanian cheese bearing the same name as the village where it is produced in the
Èšaga
Țaga ( Hungarian: ''Cege''; German: ''Zegen'') is a commune in Cluj County, Transylvania, Romania. It is composed of five villages: Năsal (''Noszoly''), Sântejude (''Vasasszentegyed''), Sântejude-Vale (''Vasasszentegyedi völgy''), Sântioana ...
commune, Cluj County. It is a
smear-ripened
Washed-rind or smear-ripened cheeses are cheeses which are periodically treated with brine or mold-bearing agents. This encourages the growth of certain bacteria on their surface which give them distinctive flavors. There are Hard cheese, hard and ...
cheese made from cow's milk.
Năsal is produced by
Napolact, in a natural cave, traditionally used in the cheese-making process from the Middle Ages. Its characteristics and flavour are imparted by the unique microbiological conditions in which it is manufactured. The rock of the cave and the ''
Brevibacterium linens
''Brevibacterium linens'' is a gram-positive, rod-shaped bacterium. It is the type species of the family '' Brevibacteriaceae''.
''Brevibacterium linens'' is ubiquitously present on the human skin, where it causes foot odor. The familiar odor i ...
'' bacteria which developed in it, the constant temperature and humidity, act on the cheeses produced here.
Brevibacterium linens
''Brevibacterium linens'' is a gram-positive, rod-shaped bacterium. It is the type species of the family '' Brevibacteriaceae''.
''Brevibacterium linens'' is ubiquitously present on the human skin, where it causes foot odor. The familiar odor i ...
is ubiquitously present on the human skin, where it causes
foot odour. The same bacterium is also employed to ferment several cheeses such as
Limburger
Limburger (in southern Dutch contexts Rommedoe, and in Belgium Herve cheese) is a cheese that originated in the Herve area of the historical Duchy of Limburg, which had its capital in Limbourg-sur-Vesdre, now in the French-speaking Belgian pr ...
,
Port-Salut
Port-Salut is a coastal commune in the Sud department of Haiti.
Port-Salut is a popular destination for local Haitians, as well as tourists, due to the surrounding beaches.
Port-Salut is the hometown of Haiti's former president, Jean-Bertr ...
and
Năsal. Its smell also attracts mosquitoes.
Origin
Schilling János, an architect, purchased a farm in Năsal in the mid-19th century. He or his son, Schilling Ottó, started producing cheese in the farm cellars in the 19th century. The cheese became famous in Transylvania, and it was awarded a gold medal at the
Paris World Expo. The farm was nationalised in 1948 and a smaller cheese factory was built in the village in 1954.
Legend
As the legend goes, the village of Năsal was owned by a rich and cruel count. One day, some farmers ignored the commandments of the noble and took some pieces of his cheese, for their children. They hid the cheese in a cave near the Năsal village, and did not rush to go and take it. Weeks passed, and one day a villager went into the cave, convinced he would find the cheese rotten. to his surprise, he found it in good condition. The cheese had changed its colour to a reddish yellow, but the taste was very good, despite the smell. Finally, the count found out and punished the peasants. However, he kept the cheese from the cave, and began serving it to all his noble guests, proud of its exquisite taste and shortly thereafter began storing his cheeses in the cave.
See also
*
Napolact
References
{{DEFAULTSORT:Nasal
Romanian cheeses
Smear-ripened cheeses
Cow's-milk cheeses
Hungarians in Romania