Paški sir is a hard sheep's milk cheese from the Adriatic island of Pag, flavoured by the aromatic plants the sheep graze and by the salt dust the Bora wind spreads over the island.

Wikipedia notes that the Bora wind spreads salt dust over Pag, so only resilient, aromatic plants survive, and the sheep that graze them give the milk its taste. The European Commission granted protected designation of origin on 25 November 2019. The cheese is aged five to eighteen months depending on the end product: younger cheeses are creamy and yellow, older ones darker, harder and grainy. Paška sirana won gold at the 2017 Global Cheese Awards.

Where to eat Paški Sir in Split

The editor picks for Paški Sir in Split are still in research. Meanwhile, see the Split signature-dishes index or the Split food guide.

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Make it at home

Serves 61 hrEasy

Ingredients

  • 150g young Paški sir (2 to 3 months aged)
  • 150g medium Paški sir (6 to 12 months)
  • 150g extra-aged Paški sir (18 months plus)
  • 100g Dalmatinski pršut, thinly sliced
  • 150ml premium Dalmatian extra virgin olive oil
  • 60g raw Croatian honey (lavender or sage)
  • 100g fresh figs or quince paste, sliced
  • 100g toasted almonds
  • 1 country sourdough loaf, sliced
  • 1 bottle Pošip or Vugava white wine, chilled
  • Sea salt and freshly cracked black pepper

Method

  1. Remove the cheeses from the fridge an hour before serving. Pag cheese must be eaten at 18 to 20C for the aromas to develop.
  2. Slice the young cheese into 1cm cubes; the medium into 5mm wedges; the aged into thin shards with a vegetable peeler.
  3. Arrange the three ages of cheese in a triangle on a wooden board, lightest to oldest in clockwise order.
  4. Drape slices of pršut on a corner of the board.
  5. Place a small bowl of olive oil with a pinch of sea salt and a grind of pepper in the centre.
  6. Add the honey in a second bowl with a wooden honey dipper. Arrange figs or quince paste and almonds around the cheese.
  7. Slice the sourdough thickly and toast lightly. Add to a basket on the side.
  8. Taste in order: young, medium, then aged. Pair each with bread, oil, honey and pršut and note which combinations work.
  9. Serve the chilled white wine in straight-sided tasting glasses.

Editor tip. Buy a piece direct from a Pag producer if you can, and compare cheeses of different ages side by side.

Common allergens: Dairy.