The month of May is known as the time of love when all our nature awakens to life. Birds sing cheerfully, trees bloom beautifully, the earth turns green, bees diligently pollinate, and sheep graze happily. We consider May one of the most beautiful months of the year when spring is in full swing. Besides its beauty, it brings various delicacies such as the very popular May bryndza, made from fresh sheep's milk, which is generally considered higher quality, tastier, and even healthier.
Bryndza is a traditional Slovak dairy product known to our ancestors for hundreds of years. By processing nutritious sheep's milk, a tasty and especially healthy dairy product - bryndza - was obtained. Traditional bryndza, as known by our ancestors, is made from unpasteurized, 100% sheep's milk. May bryndza has been considered the highest quality bryndza of the year for decades. This is mainly due to the warm days and sheep grazing on fresh grass, which is richest in nutrients at this time. Sheep's milk in May contains the most beneficial plant-origin substances, essential fatty acids, and other bioactive compounds. These are extremely important for human health.
Production and effects of bryndza on our health
As mentioned above, true bryndza is made from pure unpasteurized and non-homogenized milk. Its production at Brysyrt company is under strict supervision to ensure precise procedures according to the traditional recipe. “We produce our bryndza according to our own traditional recipe. First, quality sheep cheese is delivered to us, which matures in our warehouses. After reaching a certain pH, processing begins. First, it is pressed in a special machine to remove whey and then ground on rollers – this gives bryndza its characteristic consistency, neither lumpy nor too smooth. Water and salt are then added. The most important role in the entire production is maturation; the sheep cheese must be sufficiently matured to achieve quality and tasty bryndza. When the desired consistency and taste according to our recipe are reached, packaging follows. The packaged bryndza is moved to the cold storage, and only when it sufficiently hardens is it transferred to sales shelves,” described bryndza production specialist Mr. Manica.
Bryndza, due to its high nutrient content, is classified among so-called probiotic functional foods. Several sources state that bryndza is a rich source of quality proteins, minerals, mainly calcium, phosphorus, and potassium, vitamins, and many beneficial microorganisms. Bryndza also contains a lot of good fat and cholesterol. Sheep fat mainly contains fatty acids that serve as a quick energy source for various body organs. Another advantage of bryndza is that during its maturation, conjugated isomers of essential linoleic acid (CLA) are formed, which are important components of dietary supplements supporting, for example, weight loss. Bryndza made from unpasteurized sheep's milk contains more than 25 types of probiotic live cultures. Lactic bacteria process sheep proteins into biopeptides, which contribute to lowering blood pressure, reducing cholesterol, and have immunostimulatory effects. Their action leads to allergy prevention, strengthens the immune system, and also optimizes intestinal activity.
How is it available all year round?
Bryndza is also produced in winter. However, since sheep cannot graze on green meadows, shepherds prepare cheese supplies for winter during summer. Winter bryndza is therefore made from salted curdled sheep cheese. Summer bryndza, including May bryndza, is made from fresh and especially quality sheep's milk, which is why it is generally considered higher quality, tastier, and even healthier. So do not hesitate and prepare delicacies from genuine, quality May bryndza.
