Boškarin or Istrian cattle is a

breed A breed is a specific group of breedable domestic animals having homogeneous appearance (phenotype), homogeneous behavior, and/or other characteristics that distinguish it from other organisms of the same species. In literature, there exist seve ...

dairy cattle Dairy cattle (also called dairy cows) are cattle bred with the ability to produce large quantities of milk, from which dairy products are made. Dairy cattle generally are of the species '' Bos taurus''. Historically, little distinction was ...

originating from

Istria Istria ( ; Croatian language, Croatian and Slovene language, Slovene: ; Italian language, Italian and Venetian language, Venetian: ; ; Istro-Romanian language, Istro-Romanian: ; ; ) is the largest peninsula within the Adriatic Sea. Located at th ...

(northwestern

Croatia Croatia, officially the Republic of Croatia, is a country in Central Europe, Central and Southeast Europe, on the coast of the Adriatic Sea. It borders Slovenia to the northwest, Hungary to the northeast, Serbia to the east, Bosnia and Herze ...

and southwestern

Slovenia Slovenia, officially the Republic of Slovenia, is a country in Central Europe. It borders Italy to the west, Austria to the north, Hungary to the northeast, Croatia to the south and southeast, and a short (46.6 km) coastline within the Adriati ...

). The breed had almost completely disappeared, but thanks to the establishment of the Federation of Istrian Cattle Breeders it was saved, and today has a population of 350 cows and 8 bulls. Today the saved cattle are farmed for

gourmet Gourmet (, ) is a cultural idea associated with the culinary arts of fine food and drink, or haute cuisine, which is characterized by their high level of refined and elaborate food preparation techniques and displays of balanced meals that have ...

purposes in Istria, where the boškarin is hailed as a true gourmet delicacy.

Description

Boškarin looks rustic, with a coat that is gray in color. The tip of the muzzle is white. The Boškarin, with its muscular and strong physique has good properties and has traditionally been used as both a draft animal for both field work and transport but also for milk production. A bull or ox weighs around 1000 kilograms while a cow weighs between 550 and 650 kilograms. Characteristic of the cattle are also its large horns and blue-gray tongue. The color of the boškarin is preferably gray. The cows produce between 800 and 1200 liters of milk per year.

Origins

The Boškarin is said to be descended from bulls of the Podolica breed. The breed belongs to the gray steppe branch.

Threats and conservation

As early as the 1960s, there were around 60,000 specimens of Boškarin left in Istria, but when new breeds were introduced to increase efficiency in agriculture, they interbred. In the early 1990s, only a few purebred specimens remained in Istria. By then, Boškarins had completely disappeared from the Slovenian part of Istria. Work was then started by private individuals and interest groups to save the Boškarins from extinction. Today there are at least 350 cows, 18 bulls and 43 oxen scattered over

Gallery

File:Boškarin 2.jpg, Boškarin, detail of a specimen with horns relatively medium-sized. File:Boškarin cattle - Krk leg P.Cikovac.jpg, Head seen from the front. File:Franc Benčič vozi domov ječmen s parom volov (Pomjan) 1950.jpg, A pair of Istrian oxen pulling a hay cart. File:Balatonlelle, Rádpuszta, szürkemarha.JPG, Two specimens. File:Boškarini na Brijunima.JPG, Boškarin in the Brijuni Islands National Park File:Pašteta boškarina.JPG, Pâté made from Boškarin

References

External links

Boškarin at coloursofistria.com

{{DEFAULTSORT:Boškarin (Cattle) Dairy cattle breeds Istria Grey cattle