The Craft of Master Coopers’ Cheese Molds with Wooden Hoops

Vrancea Land is known for its hills, the cows, and the delicious smoked cheese dried in traditional artistic cheese molds. The old traditions are alive and well in this region. But what really keeps the traditions alive are those who don’t give up their old ways. The farmers who still milk their cows by hand. The craft of master coopers – bending wood into circles and carving the renowned cheese molds, which are not only a useful tool but also a symbol of Vrancea’s tradition and identity. They keep these traditions not for tourists, but because this is how cheese has always been made here. Because for them, giving up the old ways would mean giving up a part of who they are. Because milk isn’t just milk here. It becomes smoked cheese, and all of it is pressed and shaped in cheese molds by hand. And when the cheese comes out, the carved patterns leave beautiful decorations — a small piece of Vrancea pressed into every wheel.

This time we’re back in the cooper’s workshop to learn more about this tradition that has made Vrancea famous. It is a lovely summer day, and master cooper Starueală Maricel is happy to have us back in his workshop. He is determined to knock down a beech trunk and turn it into wooden circles for his cheese molds. The tradition of splitting wooden hoops in cooperage is ancient, and it holds many secrets. “It has been indicated that buckets with wooden hoops were made in Egypt as early as 2690 B.C. “(Source: The Life and Tools of a Cooper)

With a hectic but precise way of working, the cooper splits the slats, then sets to shape them on a shaving horse until they are so thin that they can be bent into hoops to fit around the hand-carved mold.

Using a compass and a chisel, the cooper hand-carves a perfectly symmetrical rosette pattern mold. Behind the workshop, the meadow stretches out peaceful and green. The air smells of fresh hay, with cowbells echoing in the distance.

It is impossible not to marvel at the cooper’s skill and experience. In no time at all, he has built not only a practical object, but also a work of art. When the cheese comes out, it doesn’t just taste like Vrancea. It looks like Vrancea. Those beautiful cheese decorations are stamped right into it, a signature you can see on every wheel.

Read also Master Cooper Crafting a Wooden Barrel by Hand