Do you know what is “sirac”?


The author of the book Traditional Serbian food and recipes, Miodrag Ilic, at the lecture that he held at the VIII Balkan Cheese Festival, raised the question: Do you know what is “sirac”?

What is “sirac”?

During the lecture “Old foods from cheeses and dairy products as part of the intangible cultural heritage, the author of the book Traditional recipes of local Serbian cuisine, Miodrag Ilic, gave an explanation of what sirac is.

“In western Serbia there is one particular type of cheese called sirac, which in national customs has the same importance as the egg for Easter, because it is eaten only on Peter’s Day (Petrov dan) early in the morning. The cheese prepares like this. As soon as the milk is brought under the cow, it immediately spreads so dangerously, and then the grudge in the whey is heated by the fire and with the hand of the broomstick until it is absorbed by everyone, then it gets out of the whey and pours in boiling water, no tarts are made. For this, it runs around the crossings and in the sun for two days dries, and then it’s over. Somewhere cheese web in the form of a feather “(Ancient Serbian dishes and beverages, Sima Trojanović, 1896).

Ancient Serbian dishes and beverages, Sima Trojanović, 1896.)
Ancient Serbian dishes and beverages, Sima Trojanović, 1896.)

About sirac there is the story which is written in the book Srbian dishes, edited by dr. Jovan Erdeljanovic, 1908.:

“They make sirac from not boiled milk for Peter’s Day. It’s like this. Not boiled milk spreads, as we have been told before, so it is left to stay overnight. In the morning, a whey is fried, and from that clump it takes a piece in a piece and between the palm-handles in the shape of a cookie (4-5 centimetres in diameter). In the dew, the whey is warmed up now (but he can not make a key) and cheese is cheeseed in it. It turns over there several times, so when it is shaken, it takes off and bows on the enemy, the tepsia (casserole dish) or the racket and dries in the sun. When they dry well, they are left and given to the children’s day, which they consider a great treat. In the middle of the day, these sirci are mutually dividing from house to house by neighbourhood and relatives on the same day. – sirci are usually made on Ivanj-dan (June 24th) (Ivan’s Day). ”

Do you know anybody who still prepares sirac (sirci) on mentioned traditional ways for peter’s day? Please let us know about it in order to visit her or him!