Cres Lamb and Sheep Cheese
There are no sheep sheds on Cres. The sheep roam the pastures freely all year and graze on wild herbs. Shepherds move their flocks from pasture to pasture depending on water and food, much as they did thousands of years ago.
You can taste it: Cres lamb is known for its aroma. Some locals even claim they can tell from the meat which village an animal comes from.
Good to know:
• The blue or red paint marks on the sheep are owner markings. In the past notches were cut into the ears instead.
• Traditionally almost nothing was wasted: wool for clothing, skins for the meh bagpipe, and some sweets such as olito used lamb fat instead of butter.
Sheep cheese from Loznati:
Once almost every household made its own cheese. Today a family cooperative in Loznati has revived the tradition with a small dairy using its own sheep and goats. Visitors can watch how the cheese is made.
Insider tip: demand is high, so the best chance of getting cheese is from early to late summer, ideally early in the day. In Loznati the Bukaleta tavern is also worth it for lamb and olito.