cheese-making

Belica 3

5 (a) šès li sa ìzdoa go ako mì trèbe sìrene jà si go pòtsira

maybe it’s six. I milk [them] and if it’s white cheese I need, I curdle [it].

14 (a) sìrište si ìma akò e dèset kilà mlèko šte tùriš dvè kàpki

You’ve got rennet. If it’s ten kilos of milk, you’ll put in two drops

15 (a) sìrište šte go zavìež da e tòplo da ne stìne

of rennet, you’ll wrap it up so it stays warm, so it doesn’t get cold.

16 (a) šte go zavìeš i šte čèkaš tò kato se potsìri

You’ll wrap it up and you’ll wait until it curdles.

17 (a) tò se odgòre izbìstri zelèn cvìk mu se kàzva

It gets clear on top, that’s called green [ = first] whey.

18 (a) togàva màlko lèko go razbṛ̀kvaš vəf ednò torbè otᵊ tenzùx kṛ̀pi

[And] then you stir it a little, and [take] a bag of cheesecloth, [some] cloth

20 (a) sì gu sìpvaš tàm precàždaš si gu

and pour it in, and strain it

24 (a) tovà što sè tečè ot kṛ̀pata vèče sìreneto si ostàja f cedìlničeto

The part that drains from the cloth – the cheese is what remains in the bag,

25 (a) a onòva se kàzva surovàtka

and that other [part] is called whey.

27 (a) i kato a nèa sedì dnèska si sirìl fčèra dnèska

And when – as for it – it sits. And what you’ve done, yesterday or today,

28 (a) šte sìpeš vɤf kazàn li e f kotèl li e

you’ll pour [it] into either a cauldron or a kettle,

29 (a) še kladèš ogɤ̀n'a še go svàriš pa na izvàra

and you’ll lay the fire, and you’ll boil it down to curds.

31 (a) i gu pòsle vèče cvikɤ̀ na prasèto

And [what remains] after that is [white] whey – for the pigs.

Dolna Sekirna 3

46 (a) ta da mòže da se potsìri da se urabòti pò i da s ne

so that [people] can ferment [the milk] and make up [cheese].

64 (a) tòlko sìren’e mlèko kaškavàl sɤm pravìla ma stàrɤcɤt mi lovdžìja

I’ve made so much cheese, milk, kashkaval! My husband is a hunter,

Rajanovci 2

9 (a) a potsìrim mlekòto koè vèčer ga e potsirìl zàran

I add rennet to the milk. Whoever adds rennet in the evening, then in the morning

10 (a) ga pṛ̀vo fàne n’èga sɤs cadìlo a ìnače e potsìreno u kòfu̥

the fermenting starts to take, in a strainer, otherwise it ferments in a bucket

11 (a) i sɤs cadìlo kato stàne gotòvo sɤs ə sìpe ga u

and the strainer – when it’s ready you pour it into

12 (a) u cadìloto i ga zakàčim na ednà kùka da visì

the strainer and I put it on a hook to hang there,

13 (a) da se iscèdi i nò dogdè se jà spràvjam sɤs tòj

to strain out, while I deal with the [fresh milk]

14 (a) dè e sɤk izmḷ̀zeno cèdim ako e istìnulo ga podgrèvam

that’s just been milked. I strain it; if it’s cooled then I warm it up.

15 (a) slàgam mu sìrište tàm kvò pèt šès kàpki zavìsi od mlekòto kòlko e

I add five or six drops of rennet, it depends on how much milk there is,

16 (a) i ga prigòtvim i ga ostàim i onòj se iscedìlo a jà

get it ready, and leave it. And it strains out. And I,

17 (a) pɤk u tòo momènt si ìma sɤndɤ̀če mì mu dùmamo sɤndɤ̀če

at that moment – there’s a small box, we call it a small box –

18 (a) a i ga si tùrnemo sɤs cadìloto sɤs ložìcu ga tekà ùbavo razmèšamo

and we put a big spoon into the strainer and mix it up good,

19 (a) podrèdimo na ednàkvo i kapàk svìemo sɤs ca svìemo cadìloto

then arrange it equally and cover [it]. We bind up the strainer

20 (a) i tùrnemo kapàk odgòre i tùrnemo tùxla tùrnemo ili kàmik mòže

and put a cover on top. We cover it with a brick, or it can be a stone,

21 (a) i drùk ama mì tùxla smo turàli tùrim tekà do nègde posedì

or something else. But we would put a brick. I put it so it sits here,

22 (a) ga ponatìsnem i tegàv mu tùrnem òšte edna tèžes

I press down on it, and then I put another weight onto it,

23 (a) štò e làbavo i nèma da se iscèdi ùbavo

because if it’s loose then it won’t strain well.

24 (a) tùrnem òšte ednà tèžes i ga ostàim nò si se doiscèdi

I put on one more weight, and leave it until it’s completely strained.

26 (a) a onòj se fanùlo u kòfutu a tòj se pa iscèdilo

and [the new milk] has fermented in the bucket, and the other’s all strained.

27 (a) a jà ga rèžem na kvadràtčeta ga narèžem i ga ostàim

I cut it into squares. I cut it and leave it

28 (a) u ednà tavà ìmamo si tavà odèlno i ga narèdim tàm

in a pan. We have a special pan for this. And I arrange it there

29 (a) i na sèku bùčicu̥ tè tekà fànem ə sòl mòrska fànem

and on each piece I take salt – sea salt. I take it

30 (a) i tùrimo ozgòre na sèku bùčicu i zavìem s vèsnik ozgòre

and we put it on top of each piece, and wrap it up with newspaper on top.

31 (a) onòj se fanùlo i n’èga po sɤ̀štija nàčin pàk takà narazbṛ̀kam

And [the next set] has fermented, and I mix it up the same way,

32 (a) posedì sìpem ga u cadìlo drùgo nò si ìma cadìla

let it sit, pour it into another strainer – there are [several] strainers.

33 (a) sìpem i pàk tekà ga zakàčim da se iscèdi i tòj

I pour it, and hang this one up too for it to strain out.

34 (a) dogdè se cèdi pàg ga pritìskam onòj sedì u tòj u tavàta

While it strains, then I squeeze the other, and it sits in the pan.

35 (a) àko mi se vìdi če òšte nè e bɤ̀ž dobrò iscèdeno a jà

If it looks like it’s not well enough strained, then I –

36 (a) tòj ga kad dòjde vrème ga rèžem i ga tùrim do drùgoto

when it’s time to slice it I put it next to the other.

37 (a) i pòsle do večertù ga rèdim u tanakè onòj pṛ̀voto gdè sɤm rezàla

Later, in the evening, I arrange the first one I’d sliced in a big tin can

38 (a) i tè tekà i ga rèdim u tanakè kato napḷ̀nimo tanakèto

Like that. I arrange it in the can so as to fill the can up.

41 (a) nò ìma kilèr tàm (laughter) kilèr ga ostàimo

There’s a pantry there! We leave it in the pantry,

42 (a) i na sèka sɤ̀bota eli nedèl’a se pretàka pretàka

and each Saturday or Sunday we decant it carefully

43 (a) i ako vìdiš če salamùra se e povlèkɤl sìpem u ednù tèndžеru

and if you see that brine has clotted up, I pour it into a pot,

44 (a) na k’umbèto i ga s prekipìm i tegàv ga precèdim

on the stove, bring it to a boil and then strain it,

45 (a) i ga sɤsìpem u i ga vṛ̀nem tàm i tè tekà

and pour it out and put it back it there. Like that

46 (a) i pòsle drùgutu nèdel’u si e dobrò nè e se povlèklo

And by the next Sunday it’s fine. It hasn’t clotted up,

47 (a) štò e prefermentìralo li kòj znàe kvò i tè tekà

since it’s fully fermented, or however you call it.

48 (a) ama ne pretàkaš li ga ne pretàkaš li ga nò takà takà

But if you don’t decant it, if you don’t decant it like that,

49 (a) i fàne žḷtò odgòre i če zamerìše i nè e blàgo

it’ll get yellow on top, and smell, and won’t be good.

50 (a) sàmo pretàkan’eto ga mlògo zadṛ̀ža a

Just [continual] decanting it keeps it good.

70 (a) kvò si mu tùri (laughter) rèko kvò sɤm ga

What did you put in it?” I told him what I –

71 (a) kvò sɤm si izveštàla a nè če mi e kazàl nèkoj kato fàne

what I worked out. Not that someone else told me, when it ferments

72 (a) kòlko sɤs sòl na sèku bùčicu̥ i n’òj g’um e dovòlno

how much salt [to put] on each piece for it to be enough.

73 (a) ako tì si bùvaš takà tì ne znàeš kòlko si turìla

if you pound it then you don’t know how much you’ve put

74 (a) i onò se presàl’a eli ostàne neso nesòleno i tè tekà

and it gets oversalted, or ends up unsalted. That’s it.

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cheese-making

Belica 3

Dolna Sekirna 3

Rajanovci 2