Leading the dairy parade is Śląska Gołka, claiming an udderly impressive second place in the smoked cheese category. This Silesian sensation is made from milk from from cows of the Red Mountain breed, and has a delicate, slightly salty flavor, with a soft, flexible texture.
Hot on Gołka's heels is the Podhalańska Redykołka, trotting in at fourth place. This is a semi-hard cheese crafted from semi-skimmed sheep's milk. Its name harks back to "redyk," a shepherd's equivalent of a mountain sheep flash mob. It is often mistaken for its cousin Oscypek, which is made from salted and unpasteurized sheep's milk.
Speaking of sheep's milk cheeses, the category saw Podhalańska Bryndza and Bundz, both hailing from the mountainous Podhale region, break into the top ten. Bryndza even double-dipped in the glory, securing a spot in the soft cheese category, too.
In a comprehensive roll call of the world's top 100 cheeses, Poland's cheesy champions made a solid showing: Oscypek might be last, but Redykołka came in at a respectable 50th, Gołka at 36th, Bundz at 25th, and Bryndza landed at 18th. (Parmigiano Reggiano took the top spot.)
(rt)