OPG Radosevic - Master Cheese Maker

An Istrian family tradition since 1997

The history of Istrian cheese making began twenty years ago, when Branko Radosevic registered the first cheese plant on the Istrian peninsula, OPG Radosevic. After renovating a small hilltop home surrounded by lush green pastures in the village of Grobice near Brtonigla, Branko, with the help of his wife Kristina, began his agricultural empire. It was then that they registered the very first cheese factory in Istria that now specializes in producing sheep’s cheese, “skuta” and cheese with truffles.

The family produces several varieties of semi-hard cheeses using the milk of their own 200 sheep that roam lush green pastures on a hill, just above the northern shores of the Mirna River. The secret to the family’s success in producing high quality cheese is a combination of several important factors involved in the cheese-making process: livestock and storage. Branko and Kristina ensure proper diets for their sheep, care for their hygiene, and provide ample space for grazing, the first key step in producing first class cheese.

Once the sheep are milked both in the morning and in the evening, the milk is left to age for two days at a temperature of 4 degrees celsius. After the cheese has gone through the necessary production process, it must be stored in a specific environment and temperature, perhaps the most important key step in the making of cheese. Over the years, the Radosevic family has perfected their manufacturing so much so that their cheeses have been awarded multiple medals and recognitions, and are even being exported to Russia, the United States and Australia! These fine, handcrafted natural cheeses warrant a stop to the factory during your visit to northwestern Istria - once that first slice of melt-in-your-mouth cheese hits your palate, words will just be superfluous.

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#Regional delicacies

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