We had one goal: eat genuine oscypek. Answer the question: where to eat real oscypek?. Or to keep it simple: where to eat OSCYPEK? Because there are no fake oscypeks… Just ordinary types of cheese which can be found in most places on ul. Krupówki and at the foot of Gubałówka.
Oscypek cheese is only produced between May and September since that’s the time when sheep are grazed on the nearby fields. In winter the stands and inns sell highland cheeses which do not have much to do with oscypek. Oscypek must have the majority of sheep’s milk – certified ones need to consist of sheep’s milk in at least 60%.
We decided to look for that kind of oscypek in Zakopane in the end of May. And we found them! We found shepherd’s huts where traditions are still strong, the flavour is the key, where tasty and GENUINE oscypek cheese is made 🙂 Try to check them out and watch out on Krupówki and near Gubałówka. The locals told as a lot about tricks and cheats to make the cheese look right and we didn’t imagine even half of it… dipping the cheese in tea or coffee to get the right colour, selling defrosted cheese (awful!), painting the cheese with oil so it looks better. Be careful then and buy only where it’s worth it. Especially if you want the traditional shepherd’s huts to survive. And you do, because that’s where the tradition, charm and flavour of Podhale lies.
1) POLANA PAŃSZCZYKOWA – NEAR MURZASICHLE
It’s the first shepherd’s hut we visit during our oscypek hunting trip. Paolo, chef at our beloved Italian restaurant Le Chalet in Murzasichle recommended it. The hut is right by the road but it looks beautiful, even in the rain: peace and quiet, a wooden house on a charming green glade, trees in the background. We’re afraid there’s not going to be anyone to welcome us when we arrive on Friday afternoon. It’s quiet and empty.
We peek inside, the head shepherd is not there but oscypeks are being smoked over the fire. We talk with shepherd’s wife who tells us that the bigger ones are smoked for 3-4 days. All consist of sheep’s milk in 60%, in line with EU regulations. We meet the shepherd – Jan Jasionek – the next day. Every Saturday from the early morning he makes oscypek and bundz cheese himself. Dressed traditionally, sitting in his hut, he looks absolutely picturesque.
The shepherd’s hut on Polana Pańszczykowa is also special because of its size – it’s much bigger than others. We learn that it was built in accordance with EU regulations. The shepherd can make use of not only one but several rooms – separate ones for cheese production, storage and sleeping.
Best way to get to the hut is from Murzasichle. You cross the city, drive along the main street (Sądecka) up to the crossing with the road to Zakopane. Go the other way there (to Bukowina) and follow the yellow “shepherd’s hut” sign.
2) BACÓWKA U JANCOKA – BRZEGI
Driving from Murzasichle towards Bukowina we pop by Bacówka u Jancoka in Brzegi. It’s hard to pass it by since this charming wooden house is located right by the road. There’s a small parking lot in front of it. No problem stopping by for a little longer so you can not only buy oscypek, bundz and other types of cheese but also see how bundz is made or drink żentyca sitting in front of the hut.
Bacówka u Jancoka is one of the most memorable ones. Here, we met a girl who was reaching 18 and wanted to become a head shepherd in the future. Just like her mother – Janina Rzepka – first female head shepherd in Poland. She talks with us in highland dialect and tells us she’s been staying in the hut ever since she was little. Her father used to work as a herder back in the day and they’ve been running their shepherd’s hut for the last 20 years. For the last 12 years in the same place – in Brzegi. Currently, the whole family is engaged in oscypek cheese production – brothers help with the animals, uncle and father make bundz and somebody else grazes a herd of 300 sheep. “u Jancoka” produces 20-30 kg of cheese daily.
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At the place you can buy oscypek, bundz (bunc), bryndza, korbaczki, cow’s and sheep’s milk golkas and redykołkas. You can also drink żętyca – a drink made from whey left from bunc production. Since the place is a certified producer, all cheese consists of at least 60 % sheep’s milk; often as much as 70-80%. It all depends on how much milk do the sheep produce on a specific day.
Łukasz found his favourite at “u Jancoka”.
PS. It was the only shepherd’s hut I couldn’t find on the map so ask locals for “u Jancoka” if you have problems finding it. Everybody knows the place in Brzegi and around!
3) NOWY TARG – ON THE ROAD TO CRACOW
Surely not our favourite one as for the location. Close to eternally crowded Zakopianka route, with a view of the shops and a petrol station. Not precisely by the road but far from the previous ones as for the impression. No picturesque glades or valleys here. On the other hand such location has its advantages. Haven’t bought oscypek before? Come here on your way back from Zakopane. That’s what we did. This giant oscypek turned out to be the best I had.
When we arrived in the shepherd’s hut late afternoon on a rainy Friday, we found a few sheep strolling around and a few guys kneading the cheese together and shaping it into large pieces of oscypek. We watched the production process closely while Maks obviously went to make friends with the little sheep.
Local head shepherd’s name is Stanisław Pawlikowski. He owns 500 sheep and his hut produces 30-40 kg of cheese every day. As in “u Jancoka” the contents of specific types of milk in the cheese vary. Sometimes it’s 60% sheep’s milk and 40% cow’s milk, sometimes 70% and 30%. We try oscypek which has been smoked for 2 days. It’s nicely hard and the skin has an amazing smoky smell. This time It’s me who finds a personal favourite. We also buy oscypek for friends and parents here. My mother called me the next day to say that you can easily sense the difference between the cheese here and at the foot of Gubałówka. Delicious!
4) WIELKA POLANA KUŹNICKA
One of my favourite when it comes to location. You can see it on the cover photo. The area is beautiful and magical, even though the place is quite crowded as we visit it. The hut is located on the route to Kuźnice and to the lift to Kasprowy Wierch. It’s one of the best places to buy oscypek if you came to Zakopane by train and have no opportunity to drive around and check the huts scattered around Zakopane. You can easily get here on foot!
Łukasz drinks żętyca on site (PLN 2 for a cup) which tastes a bit like kefir. Polana Kuźnicka sometimes sells oscypek with as much as 100% sheep’s milk but better ask before you buy.
5) WITÓW – POLANA BIAŁY POTOK
Several people told us about the shepherd’s huts around Kiry and Witów and so we decided to check them out as well. In order to get there from Zakopane, you need to pass the entrance to Kościeliska Valley on your left and drive further towards Witów for a few more kilometres. There, you will see something truly beautiful: a green glade and a few wooden houses. Among them, you will find the shepherd’s hut run by Władek Zapotoczny.
We like it as soon as we walk in: a bonfire in the middle, quiet traditional music playing in the background, baskets with small and big cheeses standing around. Not all are oscypeks since they are certified to produce mostly the large type of oscypek with at least 80% sheep’s milk.
You can also buy plenty of cow’s milk cheese, redykołkas, heart-shaped cheese. Łukasz drinks some more żętyca which a local highland lady calls ‘liquid cheese’. We admire some more sheep and drive along – this time to Chochołowska Valley.
6) DOLINA CHOCHOŁOWSKA – BACÓWKA NA SIWEJ POLANIE
There’s plenty of shepherd’s huts in Chochołowska Valley, however due to the weather (it was raining for 3 days in a row!!!) we only checked the closest one on Siwa Polana. It’s a large glade right at the end of the Valley. You will have no problems finding it if you ever been to Chochołowska Valley.
Also, no problems finding the actual shepherd’s hut – after a few hundred metres, on the right you will see a tiny wooden house with milk containers next to it.. That’s the place! We stay and talk with a highland couple making oscypek over the fire on Sunday morning for a while. They’re not too eager to talk, a bit resentful and embittered, tired with hard work which in the sheep grazing period (May to September) goes on 7 days a week. They’re unhappy with the lack of support for traditional producers from the government, lack of help from the youth. But despite that, for years they have kept doing what they do.
If you’re feeling hungry on the trip to Chochołowska, be sure to check the place out. And take kids t show them how the cheese is made.
7) POD REGLAMI – left of the entrance to DOLINA STRĄŻYSKA
One of the waiters at Zakopiańska recommended shepherd’s huts near Strążyńska Valley. We decided to check them out right before we left Zakopane. If you’re travelling by car, you have to drive up Strążyńska street to the parking lot at the entrance to the Valley. You park there and turn left to pod Reglami route. It’s a perfect place for a walk unless it rains! Also, it’s yet another shepherd’s hut you can visit on foot if you’re staying in Zakopane.
The place sells oscypek cheese produced almost entirely from sheep’s milk. They explained that they only have one cow so there can’t be more than a few % of cow’s milk in the cheese. Like other huts, this sells oscypek cheese, bundz and żętyca. We also managed to see the milking of the sheep 🙂
All of the above shepherd’s huts are certified and sell real oscypek cheese. GENUINE. Made from sheep’s milk in at least 60%. Obviously these aren’t all shepherd’s huts in Zakopane and around. But we only had 3 days 😉 However this list should come in handy if you want to try some really tasty oscypek. We won’t tell you which are the best since each of the oscypeks tasted a little bit different. Everyone needs to find out their own no.1. Hopefully you will find it in one of the huts we wrote about:) ENJOJ! 🙂
PS. Visiting shepherd’s huts s not only the way to eat oscypek but also to spend a nice weekend on learning traditions of Podhale. Highly recommended!
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