Kajmak

Montenegro boasts a wide array of high-quality local produce and it should come as no surprise that locally-grown food in a healthy environment tastes much better. The flourishing local cheese industry is a perfect example with many small-scale producers dotted around the mountain pastures.

Montenegrin Kajmak, a sweet and buttery cream cheese made from unpasteurized and unhomogenized milk, is one such sought-after commodity and its fame is extending past national borders. It is not easy to describe the exact taste of Kajmak, rarely is it consumed in its pure form – like butter.

Kajmak is probably closer to butter than cream cheese. It is not firm as butter though but fluffy and creamy. Some compare it to clotted cream which is a close but not exact match. The flavor of Kajmak is specific due to the milk which is sourced from grass-fed cows.

Having said that, Kajmak is usually made from cow’s milk aged in sheepskin, but there are variants with sheep or mixed milk. Its color and taste profile depends on the level of maturity; barely-aged Kajmak is snow white and has a mildly sour taste. If left to ferment, aged kajmak develops a natural buttery yellow color and becomes strong-flavored.

Traditional production methods foresee simmering the milk over low heat and then skimming off the cream. The fresh produce is then stored in wooden barrels and left to ferment for a couple of days. Even in its freshest form, it has a high milk fat content of about 60%.

Kajmak is usually served with freshly-baked bread or priganice as an appetizer along with prosciutto and olives. It is also used as an ingredient in several Montenegrin signature dishes such as Njeguski Steak, Podgoricki Popeci, and Cevapcici topped with Kajmak.