CROATIAN CHEESES WITH PROTECTED DESIGNATION OF ORIGIN AND PROTECTED GEOGRAPHICAL ORIGIN

Sir je stara prehrambena namirnica koja se koristi još od doba Mezopotamije, koja se tad koristila za preživljavanje, a danas je veoma cijenjena prehrambena namirnica. Sir se dijeli prema više karakteristika i specifičnosti, a osnovna podjela sira je prema vrsti mlijeka, prema udjelu vode u bezmasnoj tvari sira, prema udjelu mliječne masti te prema zrenju. Također kvalitetu sira možemo ispitati i prema parametrima kakvoće sira kao što su miris, okus, tekstura i izgled. Postoji tek nekolicina autohtonih namirnica Hrvatske koje nose neku od oznaka kvalitete, a koja se odnosi na proizvode koji su zaštićeni na razini cijele Europske unije, a njihova proizvodnja prati tradicionalne recepture i sukladna je propisanim specifikacijama proizvoda. Također, procesom zaštite naziva i procesa proizvodnje, proizvođači ostvaruju zaštitu vlastitog proizvoda od zloupotrebe. U posljednjih nekoliko godina radi se na tome da ugostiteljski objekti prilagode svoje menije prema tradicionalnoj gastronomskoj baštini te samim time i promoviraju izvorne hrvatske proizvode i povećaju svijest o tradicionalnoj gastronomiji kao ostavštini naših predaka.Cheese is an old grocery that has been used since the time of Mesopotamia, which was then used for survival, and today it is a highly valued grocery. Cheese is divided according to several characteristics and specificities, and the primary division of cheese is according to the type of milk, the proportion of water in the fat-free substance of the cheese, the proportion of milk fat, and the proportion of ripening. We can also test cheese quality according to quality parameters like smell, taste, texture, and appearance. There are only a few autochthonous foods in Croatia that carry one of the quality labels, which refers to products protected at the level of the European Union. Their production follows traditional recipes and complies with the prescribed product specifications. Also, by preserving the name and the production process, manufacturers protect their products from misuse. In the last few years, catering facilities have been working to adapt their menus according to the traditional gastronomic heritage, promoting original Croatian products and increasing awareness of traditional gastronomy as a legacy of our ancestors