JANJA BRAID: A UNIQUE TYPE OF CHEESE IN THE WORLD

A unique and recognizable product of the Janja plateau is the widely renowned Janja braid cheese. It is a cheese that is pulled into strands from which the braid is made, requiring the highest quality milk from mountain pastures and the skillful hands of a homemaker.

"The first step is to leave the freshly milked milk at room temperature overnight, covered with a cloth until the morning. Then, a small amount of milk, about one 'paljak,' is taken, poured into a pot, and boiled. If a greenish whey forms, then the milk is ready for cheese making. After checking, the milk is heated to about 35 degrees, rennet is added, and the milk is moved to the back of the stove at very low heat. It rests for about ten minutes, and when a firm mass is formed, it is crossed with a spoon or slightly mixed and further worked by hand. The mass is compressed at the end of the pot, shaped into a roll, and slowly stretched into longer ends to be braided," says Dragica Lazukić Milovac from Janja for the SeeSrpska portal.

Finally, skillful hands braid the cheese with three or four ends, depending on how skillful the hands are.

The process of braiding Janja cheese takes 15-30 minutes.

Dragica tells us that she doesn't know anywhere else in the world where cheese is made in the form of a braid, and it's impossible to make it without high-quality milk from mountain pastures.

"This has been made here since ancient times, and the recipe has been passed down from generation to generation," concludes Dragica, who has perfected her skills in braiding dairy braids.

Author: SeeSrpska