The life of shepherds in the meadow

Oleg Grigoriev says: “Shepherd's summer has begun in the Carpathians, which lasts from May to September. Shepherds (shepherds) led the flocks to high mountain meadows (meadows). To feed a large flock of sheep, it is necessary to climb high into the mountains, as there are not enough pastures on the plain.

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Source: grigoryev.net

1. This is a big holiday for the village. All residents gather and see off the shepherds with a flock of sheep to the meadows. All this is accompanied by cheerful folk festivals, songs and dances. According to custom, a fire is sure to be lit to ward off evil spirits and to produce a lot of milk. This tradition has been preserved since pagan times.

2. Sheep breeding is one of the most ancient professions in the Carpathians, which has survived to this day. Knowledge and secrets of breeding and grazing sheep were passed down from generation to generation, from father to son, from grandfather to grandson. This occupation has always attracted with its romance and the opportunity to be free, because the mountains are another dimension where you are outside the hustle and bustle of everyday life. The shepherds themselves say that sheep breeding is an occupation for the soul and a favorite thing.

3. Throughout the summer, Carpathian shepherds graze sheep high in the mountains on meadows, which are located at an altitude of 1600 m above sea level and above.

4. The distance to some meadows is 50-70 kilometers, and the flock has to be led almost a day. About 400 sheep graze on this meadow. They are looked after by four shepherds and two helpers. The youngest is 11 years old. Shepherds are on pastures until the end of September. There they live and prepare sheep cheese (brynza).

5. Brynza and vurda are varieties of sheep's cheese. They differ in color, taste, structure and technology of preparation. Cheese making is a real art. The shepherds get up very early and drive the sheep out of the sheepfold for milking. Fresh sheep's milk is poured into large vats and sourdough is added to it - klyag. This is a special enzyme that is extracted from the stomach of a lamb that has not yet consumed fresh grass, only mother's milk. Then the vats are put on fire and boiled, stirring with a special wooden stick.

The collected cheese - large budzas (heads of fresh cheese, 10-15 kg each) - are hung to drain. This is how cheese is prepared.

The serum that remains in the vat is poured into a huge cauldron and put on a small fire. This is how another delicious cheese product is born - vurda, the second cheese.

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7. Brynza is the most important component of Ukrainian, Romanian, Bulgarian and Moldavian cuisine. As a rule, brynza is put in various salads and soups, in meat dishes, as a filling in dumplings and pies, and an exclusive Carpathian dish is hominy with onions and cracklings, which is abundantly sprinkled with brynza. In Transcarpathia, we even have an annual festival dedicated to cheese.

8. As the shepherds assured me, they know each sheep and goat by name, wool coloring and special signs. At the same time, it is believed that the bells on the neck of animals not only help to find them in the fog, but also drive away evil spirits.

9. From each yard, from 3 to 5 sheep are driven out to pasture. On average, over the summer, each sheep owner receives 55-60 kg of cheese.

10. Sheep milk is measured in "gellets". One gelet is about 12 liters, from which up to 3 kg of cheese can be made.

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12. Half an hour after meeting, the shepherds begin to tell different life stories about their lives. About how often they have to protect the herd from the attacks of wolves, whose population has increased greatly over the past couple of years.

13. Six dogs help shepherds to pasture sheep. No dogs here. Sensing the wolves, they make a terrible noise and bark, thereby driving away the pack of wolves.

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18. During the day under the sun in their warm fur coats, sheep heat up so much that if you squeeze into the herd in the evening, you will feel living solar energy coming from them and steam rising.

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22. The milking process lasts 1.5-2 hours. Each sheep gives a little milk - up to 250-350 grams at a time. Milking takes place three times a day.

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26. Do not miss the opportunity to try the magnificent Hutsul cheese - feta cheese.