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Cooking Croatia: Homemade Basa Cheese And Lika, A Croatian Gem

Cooking Croatia: Homemade Basa Cheese And Lika, A Croatian Gem

Tamara Novacoviç makes a fantastic homemade Croatian Basa cheese in tribute to her childhood memories from the area of Lika.
By Tamara Novacoviç

If you’ve never been to Croatia and you decide to visit, you’ll probably opt for the sea cost and old towns like Dubrovnik. However, there’s a beautiful gem situated in central Croatia, in the background of Velebit mountain range-Lika.

Lika is a mountainous region full of (un)explored beauty. If you are to visit this part of Croatia, be sure to take time and explore beauties like Plitvice Lakes (Croatian National Park which has been included  on the UNESCO list of  World Heritage since 1979), The Northern Velebit National Park, the spring on the Gacka River and various other.

Lika is very dear to my heart because my grandfather was born there and I have a lot of beautiful childhood memories connecting me to this area. Its gastronomic habits have emerged from its lifestyle and the fact that it flourishes in pasture-grounds and forests where the summers are short and winters cold with plenty of snow. The characteristic of this cuisine is simplicity – meals cooked on the open fire, like lamb, polenta, potato halves, sauerkraut and various types of cheese-two most renowned are basa and skripavac. Also, the forest honey of Lika is of the highest quality and is well known throughout the country.

Since I have relatives from Lika, I wanted to introduce its cuisine to my menu and once came across a recipe by my friend Vera that provided homemade version of basa cheese. Of course I immediately decided to give it a go. Basa is usually made from cow’s milk, only sometimes combined cow’s and sheep’s milk. When I told my grandpa what I was making (read: trying to make), we all got so excited. The pressure was on me: will I be able to produce basa that is merely decent to be called „cheese from Lika“ and will grandpa give it a positive grade? Up until that moment, I had never made cheese at home, I had never tried making one nor it crossed my mind that it was even possible to do something like that in the safety of your apartment kitchen, without ever having stepped close to a cow (or goat or sheep). The recipe turned out to be really successful and we have enjoyed this homemade cheese ever since.

You will need:

  • 4 pint (2 l) whole milk
  • 0,4 pint (200 ml) sour cream
  • Some salt

Cook milk until it boils. Remove from heat and let cool a bit. When it’s tepid, stir in sour cream. Cover and wrap in kitchen towel, leave in warm place overnight.

The next day, line a strainer with clean cheesecloth and set it inside a large bowl. Pour the mixture (the consistency will resemble pudding, it will be jiggly) into a cheesecloth and stir gently to drain off whey. Fold the ends of the cheesecloth over the cheese, place everything in the fridge and let drain for a couple of hours.

See Also

You may occasionally need to collect drained whey – don’t throw it away, put it in clean bottles and drink (you can mix it with fruits to make smoothie), it’s very healthy. There are some great recipes using whey.

The longer you leave your cheese to drain, the firmer it gets. So, its consistency is entirely up to you, decide whether you want firmer or creamier version. Carefully remove it from the cloth and it is ready for usage. You can use it as a spread on bread and in many different savoury dishes, as well as cakes. If you use it in savory dishes, you may want to add some salt. If you use it for cakes, leave it unsalted. It has great, mild flavor and is perfect for cheesecakes.

 

View Comments (22)
  • Very nice cheese indeed! So simple, yet so rewarding to do your own…
    In my latest book “Got Cheese?” I am also trying to inspire people to do their own cheeses at home and use it to make the best desserts possible! :-)

  • I made it twice and it is a shame if any one reading this skips this fantastic recipe. Very easy to make. It practically makes itself. Fantastic recipe!

    • Ivan, glad you left the comment! I was in Lika just the other day, visiting my relatives. Most of them emigrated to Canada, but some are still here :)

  • Hi, We had people from croatia living down the road from us. They made a cheese I have never been able to duplicate. It was made from cows milk. When finished it was very dry (almost crumbly) and they dried it outside on cheese cloth. It was rather tart, somewhat like buttermilk in flavor. I loved it but have never found it anywhere. I have made cheese many times but have never made it like theirs. Any ideas? Thanks Mike

  • This is the cheese my grandmother would make for her strukli.

    Thank you for the happy memories as I browse these recipes.

  • This cheese is great… my father and I make it all the time except my tata calls it “domaci sir”. Now i can ask him if it’s actually called basa!

  • Hi Tamara,

    My grandparents and mother were all born in Lika and immigrated to Canada. It’s nice to know someone out there in Internet land is making this region known–but I hope not too well-known as it’s a rare gem! Thank you.

    Best regards,

    Janet

  • @ Tamara: Lots of Croatians in Canada…. (Nisu slusali onaj vic o kanadi kad je mujo doso u Kanadu) ;)

    Pozdrav iz Winnipeg, Manitoba Kanada!

    I puno hvla na recepte!

    Pozzzz

  • How much is “some salt”? Can you be a little more specific? I would appreciate it. I really wanna make this cheese. Sounds delicious!

  • Hi Tamara , I’m so glad to have found your page my patents to ate from Lika , Saborsko in fact and we always and still do eat traditional meals home made . I can’t wait to show my mum this recipe and I will definitely be trying it . Thank you for sharing . Xx

  • Can someone tell me how long this will last in the fridge? It is only myself and my husband eating this.
    Also, How much will this recipe make? I would like to try to use it to make a cheese cake and I need 24 oz.
    Thanks!

  • My family comes from Ramljane in Lika. My Mom made polenta different than polenta from Other areas. It was dryer and crumbly and served with sauteed Sauer kraut. Delicious. How can I get the recipe for this dish?

    Habla,
    Helen

  • It sounds so wonderful &simple to make. I will definitely make it, Iam Greek and just love cheeses and your cuisine, which has a lot of similarities!!?

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