Knight Terter

Stano Ruza,
Consultant

I am working for second year now in Bulgaria, and, therefore, I used this opportunity to explore a new environment, new culture and new people. One of the first things that was greatly impressed of was the Bulgarian cuisine, where striving to nutritional health and diversity is deeply embedded in their genetic code. To eat there without a salad is simply unthinkable (usually salad is taken with grape brandy (rakiya)), dairy products tradition is age-long, huge selection of cheeses and tasty grilled meat are also there. Bulgarian wines are to be described in separate book only.

I was standing recently in front of “cheese stands” in a supermarket in Sofia. A wide range of cheeses labeled with the type of milk ("cow”, "sheep", "goat"), talked seductively to me, but what caught my attention at the very end was a certain Terter product - a large cube of cheese in a luxurious green packaging and the logo of a knight on a black horse. Knight Terter with drawn sword, ready to conquer the hearts of Bulgarian demanding customers.

In my capacity of person dealing for years in the world of tastes and flavors, testing of new products is just a part of my everyday work. So I helped the Knight Terter to jump into my shopping cart and a couple of hours later he arrived in our fridge in Bratislava. The next day Knight Terter was the first one to help my wife in preparing our Saturday lunch. I was there and saw it with my very eyes.

After the Knight Terter dropped his green mantle he revealed his strong body. Before us was laid, in fact, a splendid cube of Balkan white cheese. The pronounced and strong flavor of milk and cheese was confirmed immediately by its delicious salty taste. The cheese was creating a pleasant taste in the mouth.

Other features were appraised by my wife later when preparing the food - cheese was not sticky, easy to crumble into a nice salad and to grate it on a pizza.

And what about our Saturday lunch?

Well, look at the picture and judge for yourself. Oh, sorry, it is not fair to ask you to do it. This picture may not show you the full-bodied flavor and taste of this splendid Balkan white cheese. Therefore, I am leaving it to your imagination...

I must admit that Knight Terter deserved his knight accolade ceremony given by our family that very day.

We were not contented with just that experience. In our ever-expanding family the Knight Terter increasingly strengthened his positions - and so, now, my suitcase is the first assistant of the black horse riding with Knight Terter to Slovakia.

Stano Ruza,
Bratislava, November 2011

Rytier Terter

Uz druhým rokom pracujem v Bulharsku, a tak mám jedinecnú prílezitost spoznávat nové prostredie, kultúru a ludí. Jedna z prvých vecí, ktorá ma oslovila bola bulharská kuchyna – má evidentne zdravie a pestrost hlboko vpísané do svojho genetického kódu. Jedlo bez zeleninového šalátu je nemyslitelné (správne sa zapíja rakiou), tradícia mliecnych výrobkov je hlboká a výber syrov obrovský, grilované mäso chutné. Bulharské vína sú kapitola sama o sebe.

Nedávno som stál pred syrovým regálom v sofijskom supermarkete. Pestrá ponuka syrov s oznacením druhu pouzitého mlieka („ot krave“, „ot ovce“, „ot koze“) pýtala ruky, moju pozornost však upútal výrobok Terter – velká kocka syra v luxusnom zelenom obale a logom rytiera na ciernom koni. Rytier Terter sa s vytaseným mecom vybral dobýjat nárocné srdcia bulharských zákazníkov.

Uz roky pracujem v oblasti chutí a vôní a skúšanie nových výrobkov patrí k mojej profesii. A tak som pomohol rytierovi Terterovi skocit do môjho nákupného košíka a o pár hodín vcválat do našej chladnicky v Bratislave. Nasledujúceho dna sa o náš sobotnajší obed postarala manzelka za výdatnej pomoci rytiera Tertera. Bol som pri tom.

Terter po zhodení svojho zeleného plášta ukázal svoje pevné telo. Pred nami lezala utešená hruda balkánskeho bieleho syra „syrenie“. Výrazná, plná, mliecno-syrová vôna bola vzápätí potvrdená aj v lahodnej slankastej chuti. Syr krásne „sedel“ v ústach (ziadna gumovost), bol štavnatý a mäkko sa rozplýval na jazyku.

Dalšie parametre následne ocenila manzelka pri príprave jedla – syr nebol mazlavý, dal sa jednoducho drobit na šalát a pekne strúhat na zapecenie na pizzi.
A náš sobotný obed?

Nuz, pozritre si obrázok a posúdte sami. Vlastne prepácte, toto pozvanie nie je to odo mna férové. Obrázok vám neprenesie tú plnokrvnú vônu a chut skvelého balkánskeho syra. Apelujem však na vašu fantáziu...
Musím povedat, ze rytier Terter v našej rodine v ten den obstál bez hanby a hany.

A neostalo len pri tomto pokuse. Svoje pozície si rytier Terter v našej širšej rodine medzicasom dobyl na plnej ciare – a tak môj kufor sa stal transportným pomocníkom Terterovho cierneho kona na Slovensko.

Stano Ruza,
Bratislava, November 2011