Pag Cheese has won over World Gourmets and you can best find it in Zadar

Pag cheese is an artisan product to be enjoyed over conversation and a good glass of wine. Throughout history, sheep breeding has been one of the most important activities in the entire vast area of Zadar, both on the mainland and the islands. Thus, cheese production has a long tradition, but nowhere to such an extent and with such quality cheese-making has it existed as on the island of Pag. 

The Island of Pag: Stone, Bora Wind, Salt and Aromatic Herbs 

The island has a rather barren landscape and harsh climate characteristics; it is close to the largest Croatian mountain Velebit. The strongest bura, a northern cold and dry wind comes to Pag, and from the sea surrounding it, the wind carries large amounts of salt. These all have defined an impressive history on this, for many reasons fascinating island, a specific and selected aromatic Mediterranean flora that is the leading food for hundreds of flocks of sheep from which the people of Pag get top-quality milk. And then they make top-quality cheese from it according to a traditional recipe. 

Pag cheese has a grainy texture, full, strong and spicy taste. Depending on the stage of ripening, this specific product slowly changes its taste, smell and texture. Pag cheese can be consumed already in its young phase, ripened for only three months, then in its mature phase when ripened for six to 12 months, but also later when it is removed from the ripening shelf as late as two years. Mature cheese melts in your mouth, and its after taste is strong and long-lasting. Light and aromatic white wines go well with cottage cheese and full-bodied red wines with more mature ones. 

Interestingly, the island of Pag has as many as three products that bear the trademark: Pag salt, Pag lamb and Pag cheese. Suppose we add that a unique handicraft of Pag women, Pag lace, is on the UNESCO World Intangible Cultural Heritage List. Only on this island of all in the Adriatic, coal was mined in open coal mines in the 18th century. In that case, Pag is a unique island full of engaging, authentic gastronomic and cultural experiences. And it is so close to Zadar, only half an hour away by car over the elegantly built bridge. 

The coal used to be mined near Kolan. This activity disappeared, but the production of top-quality Pag cheese remained strong in this place as well, with small family manufacturers who mostly make it only for their own needs, but it is also produced in two larger cheese dairies. 

Gligora Dairy Pag Cheese Conquered the World

One of them is the family Gligora Cheese Dairy, which is undoubtedly one of the most deserving of the popularity of Pag cheese in the world. Namely, the cheeses of this dairy have been winning prestigious awards and acclaims at all European and world relevant fairs and competitions for many years. This family's Pag cheese has been regularly declared champion in its category. Once, it was the absolute champion in thousands of samples and hundreds of types of cheese. However, along with the traditional Pag cheese, there are other cheeses from the same producer. The Gligora family and its team produce over 20 types of cheese of different kinds of milk, cow, goat, sheep from other Croatian pastures and are always highly ranked in specialized competitions and tastings.  So in 2020, in the World Championship Cheese Contest held in Wisconsin, USA, even five kinds of cheese were at the very top in their category, while the Dinara cheese made from a mixture of cow and goat milk matured in grape husks and stalks was the champion of its category. At the world's most relevant food evaluation, the Great Taste Awards, in 2020, Kozlar cheese ripened in olive pomace was awarded one, and the original Pag cheese Gligora two stars.

Many world-renowned awards for the Gligora dairy cheeses have spread the word around the world about the top quality and gastronomic values of this cheese and ranked Gligora dairy among the most important producers of top gastronomic products in Croatia. The dairy was in the early 90s opened by the then already experienced food technologist Ivan Gligora from Kolan, who specialized in the production of dairy products. In his cheese factory, he decided to combine the tradition of the island of Pag and his technological knowledge. Even today, when he is retired, and the family business is run by his son Šime, he explains the secret of the value and uniqueness of Pag cheese: "The secret lies in the breed of the sheep pramenka and its diet or pasture consisting of aromatic plants that it grazes freely on, seemingly barren, rocky pastures, the knowledge and technological discipline in production and the island tradition".

The new and technologically advanced Gligora dairy, which includes a tasting room even for larger groups of guests who can watch the production process, annually produces about 400 tons of all types of cheese, of which about 40 tons is the best, original Pag cheese from the milk of the Pag sheep. To make a kilogram of this cheese, about six to seven litres of milk is needed, which goes fresh into the cheese-making process, after which it is poured into moulds to achieve the desired shape and an average weight of between two and two and a half kilograms. When the production is over, the cheeses ripen for several months, and each cheese should be turned over every day. Smaller batches mature in olive or maraschino pomace and grape husks and stalks.

The creativity of the Gligora family has made many new products in which some types of their cheeses are combined with various additives: aromatic island herbs, truffles, spicy peppers, even curcuma. A unique traditional delicacy of the island of Pag is ricotta cheese. It is a fantastic by-product of whey leftover from the production of basic cheese. It is an entirely different and unique type of cheese, creamy and with a specific mild but pleasant taste; we in Zadar and Dalmatia eat it alone or spice it up with a little olive oil, salt, pepper… Ricotta cheese is especially appreciated by chefs who combine it with different dishes sweet or salty. After all, with Pag cheese and a little imagination, it is easy to create top-quality dishes. If nothing else, sprinkle it on risottos or pasta dishes. 

“Gligora Chesse&Deli“ Boutiques

The  Gligora dairy has made its famous Pag cheese and all its other products, and many of them easily accessible. They conceived the trade line "Gligora Cheese&Deli", and it is easy to get to any of their products through the eponymous, well-designed webshop. However, it is an exhilarating experience to visit one of the cheese and delicacy shops from 12 stores of this cheese factory. There are two such boutiques in Zadar. One is in the city centre, on the Zadar Peninsula, at the main City Market, and the other in the shopping centre "City Galleria", about ten minutes' walk from the city centre.

These delicatessens stun you with the smell of top quality cheeses that customers can taste before buying. More importantly, in addition to top-quality Gligora cheeses (and those of other producers), the boutique shelves are full of top quality delicatessen products from other Croatian, primarily small and local producers. Here it is possible to buy top Croatian honey and jams, and true gourmets know very well how honey or jam goes well with the spicy Pag cheese. There are also top quality wines, stronger alcoholic drinks and top-quality olive oils from local producers, fish, smoked and cured meat products, spicy sauces and very special spreads or side dishes, special snacks that are entirely different from industrial, often unhealthy ones, pasta from small Croatian manufacturers, the best flower salt from Croatian salt pans—all of the products of organic production. The list is long, so it is best to use your stay in Zadar and visit one of these shops.

And the top-quality Pag cheese? It's as if we had forgotten about it. If for a moment we had, the caterers in Zadar, no matter which restaurant you opt for, have not. In each of them, they will invariably offer you slices of top-quality Pag cheese, the best sheep cheese in the world.