Kolašinski lisnati sir
(Lisnati sir, Listać, Kolašin leafy cheese)
Kolašinski lisnati sir is a semi-hard, medium-fat cow's milk curd cheese unique for the fact that it consists of thin, translucent layers, hence the name leafy (lit. lisnati) cheese. It's produced in the area around Kolašin and Mojkovac town, in the Central North region of Montenegro.
Kolašinski lisnati sir can be classified as pasta filata cheese and is made with skimmed and whole milk, to which rennet is added to make a curd that is drained, pressed, turned and folded multiple times to create layers, and then salted. The end result is a stretchy cheese that tears into shreds, consisting of multiple translucent sheets of cheese, with an intense milky-sour smell and a milky-sour taste.
It is assumed it was first created in the 19th century, but its production significantly grew from the mid-20th century onward. Today, Kolašinski lisnati sir is protected nationally with a PDO certificate, and it is said that the quality of the cheese can be judged by the number of layers it has, the more, the better.
As far as serving is concerned, Kolašinski lisnati sir is typically served as an appetizer, accompanied by cold cuts.
