Two worlds of livestock farming: sheep and cows
Highland pastoral farming was divided into two distinct types, each practised in a completely different way.
Sheep: collective farming on the mountain pastures
Sheep farming was a communal endeavour. It was based on the joint ownership of mountain pastures and communal grazing. Farmers would pool their flocks to graze them together high in the mountains throughout the season.
Cows: an individual affair
Cattle farming was a completely different affair. It was carried out individually, mainly in clearings, and the cattle were kept primarily for their milk. The cow was the main source of dairy produce on the farm.
The sheep farmers: the ‘baca (head shepherd)’, the ‘juhas (shepherd)’ and the ‘honielnik’
Communal grazing required organisation and a hierarchy. At the head of this stood the ‘baca’, the grazing organiser elected by the group of farmers, usually one of the wealthiest co-owners. Working under him were the ‘juhas’, who were responsible for grazing and milking the sheep. At the very bottom of the hierarchy was the ‘honielnik’, a boy who herded the sheep.
Payment in cheese
The extent to which cheese served as a form of currency here is evidenced by the method of remuneration. A single shepherd might tend around a hundred sheep, and a ‘juhas’ would receive one ‘oscypek sheep cheese’ for a day’s work. Cheese was therefore not only food, but also a measure of value.
What sheep provided: milk richer than cow’s
Sheep’s milk is more concentrated than cow’s milk, richer in fat, protein and minerals. It was this, rather than the meat, that was the main contribution of sheep to the kitchen.
Bryndza sheep cheese, oscypek sheep cheese, bundz and redykołka
A whole family of cheeses was made from sheep’s milk in the mountain pastures. Bundz is a fresh, white cheese; bryndza sheep cheese is its soft, salted variety; oscypek are hard, spindle-shaped cheeses; and redykołki are small cheeses, often decorated with patterns.
Three products with EU certification
The status of these products is now officially recognised. Podhale ‘Bryndza sheep cheese’, ‘oscypek sheep cheese’ and ‘redykołka’ have been granted the EU Protected Designation of Origin status. This is a seal of authenticity for products with a centuries-old tradition.
Cheese as the region’s calling card
Thanks to these certifications, Podhale cheeses are now recognised throughout Europe, and their recipes are protected against counterfeits.
Podhale Cakiel, a sheep from centuries past
It is worth noting that traditional cheeses were made from the milk of a primitive, ancient breed. The Podhale Cakiel is a native mountain sheep, now threatened with extinction and with a small population. For centuries, it provided the milk for oscypek and bryndza, before newer breeds of mountain sheep became widespread.
Animals on the farmstead: pigs, horses and poultry
Sheep and cows were not the only animals. Highlanders also kept pigs, horses and poultry, that is, chickens, geese and ducks, on their farms. The scale of livestock farming depended on the family’s wealth. A wealthy farm might have as many as ten cows, several heifers, fifty to sixty sheep, pigs and a few horses. A poor farm could afford at most one cow with a calf and three or four sheep.
The pig, a source of valuable lard
Pigs were of particular importance in the kitchen, as they provided lard, one of the most essential fats in everyday cooking, prized both fresh and smoked.
How livestock shaped highland cuisine
Livestock farming influenced the diet in ways that may seem surprising today.
Why so little meat was eaten despite livestock farming
Although there were animals in the farmyard, meat remained a rarity. Cattle were kept for milk, not for slaughter; sheep were valued for their dairy products and wool, and the most valuable dairy products were often sold. Consequently, dairy products were the main source of protein, lard the main source of fat, and meat, usually mutton, was served mainly on special occasions.
The rhythm of the pastoral year: the redyk
Life on the farm was governed by the ‘redyk’, that is, the ceremonial move of the sheep to the mountain pastures in spring, usually in March or April, and their return in autumn. The traditional date for the end of the grazing season was St Michael’s Day, which falls on 29 September. This rhythm determined when fresh milk and cheese would arrive at the farm.