Frequently asked questions
Twelve straight answers, including to the questions sellers usually avoid.
What is the most expensive cheese in the world?
Pule, a Serbian donkey cheese from the Zasavica reserve, has topped those lists for over a decade. Press reports generally place it around a thousand euros a kilo.
Why does donkey cheese cost so much?
A jenny gives about a litre of milk a day, and it takes roughly twenty-five litres to make a kilo of cheese. Add a herd of a few hundred animals and a technically awkward make: the scarcity is structural, not manufactured.
Is donkey cheese made only from donkey milk?
No. Donkey milk is low in casein and sets very poorly with rennet. Commercial cheeses are blends, with donkey milk as the larger share and goat milk supplying the structure. Any supplier who denies this is worth questioning.
What does donkey cheese taste like?
A dry, crumbly paste, white to pale ivory, lactic and salty, with a length close to a matured pecorino. The animal note people expect is discreet.
Can I buy donkey cheese in my country?
We deliver in Switzerland and the European Union. Elsewhere, dairy imports are licensed country by country and the approval attaches to the producing dairy. Tell us where you are and we will give you a straight answer rather than a sales pitch.
Can I bring it home in my luggage?
Personal import allowances for products of animal origin vary by country and are enforced. Checking the rules of the country you enter is your responsibility. We can supply a dated invoice and the batch composition to help you declare it.
How much should I expect to pay?
There is no list price, because a published figure on a product this scarce goes stale within a season. We quote within 24 working hours on the batch that actually exists.
Is it real, or is the story exaggerated?
The cheese is real and the yield figures are real. What is exaggerated is availability: world output is measured in tens of kilos a year, so anyone offering unlimited stock at a low price is not selling what they claim.
How long does an order take?
It depends on batch availability in Serbia: from a few days to several weeks. For a fixed date, allow four to five weeks.
Is it suitable for lactose-intolerant people?
No. The product contains residual lactose and milk proteins. If you have an allergy or intolerance, ask us for the full batch label before ordering.
Do you answer press enquiries?
Yes, without charge and without requiring a purchase. Much of what circulates about this cheese is recycled from a few old articles; if you want attributable figures or a correction, write to us.
What is donkey milk used for besides cheese?
Historically, cosmetics and substitute infant feeding. Today it turns up in soaps, creams and freeze-dried form. Cheese remains by far the rarest and costliest application.