Sirene vs Telemea
Sirene
Facts
- Texture
- Semi-hard
- Type
- Brined
- Rind
- No rind
- Country
- Bulgaria
Sirene is the white brined cheese of Bulgaria, sold in blocks that sit in salty liquid. The paste is white and slightly grainy, and it breaks into moist crumbs rather than bending like a soft bloomy cheese. Salt is part of the identity, because the cheese finishes in brine. In Bulgaria the name means this everyday white cheese, not one branded wheel. A block can taste fresh and tangy, or firmer and saltier, depending on its time in the brine.
Telemea
Facts
- Milk
- Sheep
- Texture
- Semi-soft
- Type
- Brined
- Rind
- No rind
- Country
- Romania
Telemea is a white brined cheese from Romania, and it is traditionally made from sheep's milk. The paste is moist, pale, and free of any rind. A cold piece slices cleanly, and a softer piece crumbles under a fork. Salt from the brine is part of the flavor, together with a light tang. People eat it plain with bread, and they also tuck it into simple savory dishes.