Focsani Cream Cheese

May is the month when you can treat yourself to a special kneaded cheese, Focsani cream. It's soooo good. When it appears, shops in Cluj announce it with fanfare. Big hand-written signs pop up in store windows: "We have Focsani cream!" Those in the know head straight to the store as if guided by radar.

The cream is made from aged sheep's curd, kept in water for 2 days, then crumbled and kneaded with salt until a paste is formed. It's similar to burduf cheese, but less salty and creamier (spreadable). You can use it for polenta with cheese, for stuffed potatoes with cheese, spread on fresh bread, on pasta (just mix hot pasta with the cheese until it melts and add dill), for filling savory crepes or pies - anywhere burduf cheese works. The cheese can be frozen.

In the old days, outside of season, my mother used to make an imitation Focsani cream from burduf cheese kneaded with pork lard. I know it sounds strange, but I remember it being delicious in my school sandwiches - creamy and tangy. Ah, I just remembered it now... one of the many pleasant oddities of childhood.

I know two producers of Focsani cream: Napolact and Bonas. They sell the cream in their showrooms, by weight. In small neighborhood shops during this period, you can also find it from other smaller producers (yesterday I bought some from Coltesti). The difference is that the ones from smaller producers are more yellowish and fattier. Bonas, for example, is very good but lighter - more suited for the sensitive stomachs of city dwellers. The price varies between 25 and 29 lei/kg.

Have you tried Focsani cream? If so, what do you use it for specifically? If not, don't waste time!