Shepherd Life in the Carpathian Mountains
Morning has dawned on the Lapoș mountains. From huts no taller than an average person’s shoulders, the shepherds arise holding their crooks. About them, nine shepherd dogs followed close by. They came to the milking shed. Holding the milking buckets, shepherds Costică, and the chief of the sheepfold, Micla Stărueală, were heading their way.
A shepherd sat on a penned enclosure, leading the sheep through two openings in the shed, and the rest sat at each side of the openings, milking each sheep as it came through. Milking took about an hour. The buckets full of creamy milk were brought over to the cheese hut, where Mr. Costel, the man in charge of making the cheese, had strained it and curdled it by adding the rennet. Then the milk was allowed to coagulate 45 minutes, while Mr. Costică set to work on making a cheesy polenta.
The Land of Vrancea is known for its extensive sheep farming practices. The view from up here was magnificent: thick forests and alpine meadows in full bloom with inspiring and uplifting, vibrant colors. From a distance, you could hear the sound of bells ringing in a way that created a pleasant and harmonious music. Outside the hut, Mr. Micla was kneading some cheese to add to the polenta.
“I’m kneading cheese to make a bulz, a dish often enjoyed at a sheepfold. We add lots of cheese, polenta, and it turns out well”, said Mr. Micla.
His generosity and amiability had impacted me from the beginning. He was joyful and kind to everyone. To get us here, Mr. Micla had to haul us from Nereju in a wagon pulled by a tractor on a difficult forest road. It was a bumpy ride, but we did make beautiful memories. They always like to treat their guests with more cheese than they can eat.
“I’ll tell you one thing: I get many visitors. They love it here, it’s clean, and I’m not a grumpy person. They come with glee”, Mr Micla said.
Being there was such a blessing. A sudden invasion of joy, wonder, and appreciation for this ancestral way of life. For Mr. Micla, living a shepherd life is a lifetime vocation: “It’s a lot of work, it’s not for everyone. You have to enjoy doing it”.
The shepherd life isn’t for everyone. This job is hard, as well as being dangerous. That is the reason why I admire these hardworking people, and I feel deeply grateful for having us over.
Mr Micla looked in the distance. ” There, the bear came, and the dogs chased him, but he hurt two of them. One dog needed stitches to close the wound, and another had a hurt paw.”
The thought that these people can fight off bears, wolves, and risk their lives to provide us with healthy, tasty cheese made me so grateful.
Soon, the cheesy polenta was cooked, and we all sat down to eat the rich, savoury dish, which, of course, was served in large portions. Then the herd of 400 sheep, accompanied by two of the shepherds and a pack of shepherd dogs, was led to pasture for grazing, making a thunderous noise full of bells.
Shepherd Costică went inside to check on the milk. The whey had turned a greenish hue. It was about time to break the curds and gather them in the cheesecloth.
Once gathered, they were transferred to a spreader table and kneaded to squeeze out the whey. Then it was gathered, pressed with a weight on top, and left there until dusk.
We were led to a backroom where the walls had gaps between planks to create airflow. Large cheeses of about 20 pounds each, resembling boulders in size and shape, rested on the cheesestand.
“A good cheese should be allowed to ripen for at least seven to eight days; afterwards, it can be kneaded and stored in barrels. Cheese should be stored in an airy space”, said Mr. Micla.
A scent of smoke filled the air. In the cheese hut, they built a fire and set a big pot of the leftover whey to boil over it. Mr Costica had to stir to prevent it from scorching until cheese lumps began to form on the surface. This is quite a simple way to make the most of their milk. The process of making the whey cheese began. With a colander, he started to gather the cheese and placed it in cheesecloth to drain. Mr. Micla had served us a plate of whey cheese. It had a soft texture and a sweet and delicate flavour. I ate it with a sprinkle of salt, and it was delicious.
We left on the same road we came. Sheep and dogs gathered to watch as the wagon rumbled down the steep pathway. I looked back. The cheese hut stood by itself, a last plume of smoke curling out of the chimney.
Location: Nereju, Vrancea Land, Romania / Contact Micla Starueala: 004 0733 476 404
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