This article is dedicated to best cheese factories in Transcarpathia region. If you are travelling to Lviv and are interested in cheese factories of Lviv region, you can read Best of Ukrainian cheese: 12+1 cheese factories of the Lviv Land .
The art of cheese-making originated about 8 thousand years ago in South-West Asia. Since then, the world has produced more than 2,000 types of cheese, only in the heart of cheese-making – France – more than 400 types are made.
Despite the fact there are a lot of world leaders in the cheese-making business, more and more relevant farms are appearing in Ukraine every year, where producers provide themselves with the necessary raw materials, thereby producing a real environmentally friendly product. If you are thinking what to buy in Ukraine to bring home – Ukrainian cheese is an excellent option.
12 Cheese-making Dairies in Transcarpathia can rightly be considered the most colourful centre of Ukrainian cheese-making, where the age-old traditions of cheese-making annually attract thousands of tourists and the local “cheese tourism” is actively developing and thriving. On such tours, you can try cheeses made from cow, goat, sheep and even buffalo milk. You can buy authentic brynza, budz or vurda as well as the products made by skilful Transcarpathian manufacturers according to the Swiss and Italian technologies.
You may be interested in Gastronomic tours.
Here we offer you a list of the 12 best, unique Cheese-making Transcarpathian Dairies:
Private Farm Baranovo
A cheese dairy in the village of Iza, founded in 2005 by Yuri Lepei, specializes in the production of various types of cheese from sheep and cow’s milk in the best traditions of Transcarpathian cheese-making. The company offers 15 types of products including brynza, vurda, soft and hard cheeses, butter, kefir.
While visiting the farm, they will offer you to see all stages of cheese-making on the upgraded equipment, a walk-excursion on the farm and tasting of 4 types of cow cheese with a glass of Transcarpathian wine or a cup of fragrant coffee. The tasting lasts up to 1 hour.
You can appreciate the beauty and taste of the farm Baranovo on our tours:
- 10 Highlights in Transcarpathia (3 days/2 nights);
- Transcarpathian Pleasures (2 days/1 night).
Address and contacts: 259, Tsentralna Street, the village of Iza, Khust district, Zakarpatska region, tel. +38-(096)-281-39-16. http://baranovo. org/
Eco-Farm Zelenyi Hai
Eco-farm Zelenyi Hai is a reliable manufacturer of quality organic and meat products founded by Orest and Yolana Del Sol. On the farm, they have 3 cows of the Brown Carpathian breed to provide milk and dairy products to the inhabitants of the farm and to feed pigs. It was formed on pastures in the mountainous area of the Transcarpathian region by crossing the local cows Ryzhko and Mokan with different breeds of brown Alpine cattle. Also on the farm, they keep about 40 pigs of a mixed breed – large white breed crossed with Landrace pigs.
Cheese-making in the farm provide 20 domestic goats mostly of Alpine breed which adapted to both stall feeding and grazing, as well as to life in the mountains. The goat of Alpine breed has high milk productivity of 1,200 – 1,600 litres of milk a year at the fat content of 3,5-4 % and protein content of 3% and it is delicious.
While visiting the farm, you can taste sausages, goat cheeses and juice.
Address and contacts: the village of Nyzhnie Selyshche, Khust district, Zakarpatska region, tel. +38-(097)-235-29-16. http://zelenyhay.org/
The Farm Karpatskyi Buivil
Not far from the protected Chorna mountain near the town of Vinohradiv there is a farm Karpatskyi Buivil. Here, local enthusiasts are trying to save the northernmost buffalo population in the world. Now on the farm, you can see more than 30 Carpathian Buffalo, as well as taste and buy different kinds of buffalo and sheep cheese (the tasting lasts for 1 hour). You can also buy milk, sour cream, butter, cheese, yoghurt and kefir.
You can visit the farm Karpatskyi Buivil on our tours:
- tasting and thermal tour Transcarpathian Pleasures (2 days/1 night);
Address and contacts: 67, Pershotravneva Street, Vinohradiv, Lemakovytsia district, tel. +38-(068)-023-56-40.
https://www.facebook.com/ Buffalo-farm-Carpathian-Buffalo–165605730570241/
Private Cheese Dairy Levente and Chila
Some more “delicious” places. Near a border village of Koson, well-known for its thermal pools Kosyno, there is a no less attractive village of Shom, with unusual for this area warm climate. Here, we found another small private farm Levente and Chila, which manufactures high-quality homemade cheeses. The owners – Mr Borkosi Levente and his wife Mrs Chila warmly welcome you to taste their products. 
Address and contacts: the village of Shom, Berehove district, Zakarpatska region, tel. +38-(063)-467-97-81.
Monastyrska Syrovarnia
The idea to create a cheese-making dairy at the Holy Intercession Monastery in the village of Rakoshyno near Mukachevo belongs to its Parson, Archimandrite Mytrofan, in whose honour they named the original hard sweet cheese Shymon. The monks produce 14 types of cheeses from the milk of their farm inhabitants – caws, sheep and goats. They range from natural Transcarpathian brynza, budz, vurda, made by traditional technology to real Italian cheeses – mozzarella, scamorza, mukkina and ricotta.
They also take pride in their analogue of the famous feta – Greek cheese – made from sheep’s milk and exclusive Bibliiskyi cheese which contains hyssop brought from Jerusalem. Goat cheese Monastyrskyi, which they produce only in autumn, is also very popular.
Every day they use 500 litres of milk to produce cheese, and the prices for the products range from 80 to 250 UAH. You can taste and buy cheese made with the blessing in a specialized shop at the Monastery cheese-making dairy. 
Address and contacts: Holy Intercession Monastery, the village of Rakoshyno, Mukachevo district, Zakarpatska region, tel. +38-(031-31)-7-43-53.
Buffalo Farm Na Toku
In the unique village of Horinchovo near Khust, which is famous throughout Ukraine for its fairy tales, there is a buffalo farm
Na Toku. Its founder is Vasyl Shymon. Over the years, he managed to increase his farm from 3 buffalo to more than 20 heads of cattle. While visiting the buffalo eco-farm, you can taste two types of cheese, as well as buy some goodies (cheese, sour cream, milk, etc.). You can also visit a small zoo, which has pheasants, deer, ducks, wild boars, pigs, unique chickens, or ride horses.
Address and contacts: Nezalezhnosti Street, the village of Horinchovo, Khust district, Zakarpatska region, the owner Vasyl Shymon, tel. +38-(067)-756-52-44. https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100011681593639
Perechynska Manufaktura
The main idea of Perechynska Manufaktura is to produce high-quality natural cheese. They built the cheese-making dairy in the area of the former military town. The company aims at producing different types of cheese. They buy raw materials for their production in the Berehove district. Here you can taste the delicate ricotta, soft camembert and other unique cheeses, as well as buy yourself gifts to take home.
The platter consists of eight types of cheese: ricotta, camembert, young fresh cheese – Polonynskyi with pepper, Polonynskyi without pepper, Perechinskyi (2 months aged), Perechinsky with fenugreek, caciotta.
Soon in a new tour!
Address and contacts: Perechýn, Perechýn district, Zakarpatska region, tel. +38-(095)-224-73-54. https://www.facebook.com/pg/perechin.manufactory
Farm Enterprise Saldobosh (buffalo farm)
The purpose of creating FE Saldobosh in an ancient Marmaros village of Steblivka is not only the production of mild mozzarella of fatty buffalo milk but, above all, the preservation of the population of the Carpathian buffaloes which are on the verge of extinction. The initiator of the buffalo farm-nursery in Transcarpathia is the German Association “Conservation of agro-biodiversity of the Carpathian mountains”, and its head is a real ascetic, a German man Mishel Yakobi.
Despite their aggressive look, buffalo are quite friendly. In addition to more than 30 buffalo, the farm is home to such rare species of animals as Hutsul horses, adapted to the harsh conditions of the mountain landscape, as well as very smart and hardy Carpathian woolly pigs, derived from the breed Mangalica.
Excursion to the buffalo farm is an exclusive opportunity to see the unique animals, as well as to taste the buffalo cheese. The tour and tasting last for up to 1 hour.
Address and contacts: 4, Druzhby Street, the village of Steblivka, Khust district, Zakarpatska region, tel. +38-(067)-600-65-04.
http://www.karpaten-bueffel.eu
Safronovs’ Private Cheese-making Dairy
The cheese-making dairy, located in the eco-resort Izki, produces cheeses from the milk of sheep, goats and cows, as well as from mixed milk. The cheesemakers offer nine types of cheese, which they serve with tea, honey and wine, for every taste and choice.
Address and contacts: the vilage of Izki, с. Ізкі, Mizhhiria district, Zakarpatska region, tel. +38-(067)-992-89-89, +38-(097)-88-333-33, +38-(067)-310-46-04. www.izki.ua
Eco-farm Fattoria Lombardia
In the area of the former German village of Paushing near Mukachevo castle Palanok, there is another highlight – an exotic eco-farm Fattoria Lombardia, where you can taste meat and cheese products. They will offer you the most delicious meat and cheese products in the region.
Address and contacts: the village of Pavshyno, Mukachevo district, Zakarpatska region, tel. +38-(050)-317-83-62.
Shkola Vivcharstva in Kolochava
The school of sheep farming in Kolochava, located in the village-museum Kolochava, in addition to ten museums, offers you to learn about shepherds, one of the oldest professions in the Carpathians. The school itself starts working in May when they allow sheep to the Carpathian meadows.
Visiting the school, you find yourself at a real authentic attraction. At about 9 am, you need to climb the mountain to one of the most picturesque peaks of the Gorgany – Strymba, and together with shepherds, you follow the herd. Then you take part in cheese making and enjoy the magical atmosphere of the mountains. The journey lasts for about 8 hours, but it’s worth it!
And of course, you can buy cheeses made of sheep and cow brynza.
Address and contacts: the village of Kolochava, Mizhhiria district, Zakarpatska region, tel. +38-(067)-215-09-85.
Selyska Syrovarnia
A visit to the cheese-making dairy Selyska Syrovarnia in the village of Nyzhnie Selyshche near the magical Valley of Daffodils will become a real gastronomic adventure. Here, under the guidance of the cheese-making dairy owner Petro Pryhara, with the support of the Association of European Cooperatives since 2002, they have been producing cheese on the Swiss technology without preservatives and flavourings. For the production, they use cow milk from local farmers, and a Swiss cheese experience allows them to produce three signature kinds of cheese with a unique taste – semi-hard Selyskyi and Nartsys Karpat and soft Khust.
The process of cheese maturation in equipped basements with constant humidity and temperature takes several months, and curious tourists will see this “cheese kingdom” during a tour to the cheese dairy. During the tasting, you will feel yourself in the Swiss Alps, and you will also bring home some unique delicacies, so we welcome you to our next tours:
- Cheese and Wine Tour Around Transcarpathia (2 days/1 night);
- Holiday Tour Around the Carpathians in 7 Days (7 days/6 nights);
Sweet-spicy and spicy cheeses together with fragrant Transcarpathian wine are waiting for connoisseurs of real taste.
At the tasting, they will offer you three types of cheese with wine, the tour and tasting last 45 minutes.
Address and contacts: Tsentralna Street, the village of Nyzhnie Selyshche, Khust district, Zakarpatska region, tel. +38-(03-142)-75-188, +38-(067)-386-51-09. www.seliskasirovarnia.com.ua
By visiting at least one of the dairies from the above list, you will get an unforgettable experience, gastronomical pleasure, learn more about Ukrainian food and traditions, and you will buy a lot of goodies for yourself and your family.
Have a good mood and we will provide all the rest. Let’s travel around Ukraine together!
