After ceramics, a universal heritage asset, Oltenia de sub Munte area also has in the matured Horezu cheese a trusted ambassador for consolidating the area as a tourist destination in Romania with a strong local identity.

The factory in the Valcea town where this cheese is produced was recently included as a gastronomic point in the 'Oltenic Muse' program, launched in the spring of this year with the aim of promoting authentic Valcea County, so it can be visited as part of guided tours that offer access to both tasting and the production process.

'Last year I was a tourist in this factory and I experienced what it means to visit such a factory. I realized that the impact is different for the consumer, but also for the tourists who come to the area. And so, basically, I had the idea of showing people how cheese is made, not just what the cheese produced in Horezu tastes like. It's a different kind of tourism. It's no longer classic tourism - I come, visit, see a landscape, eat something - but I also want to discover something specific to the place through the perspective of the producers, the craftsmen of the area. And Horezu Cheese is, we call it, the ambassador cheese not only of the Oltenia region, but an ambassador cheese of Romania, because it is the most awarded Romanian cheese at an international level and, through its perspective, Romanian cheese has reached the tables of international evaluators', says the initiator of the 'Oltenic Muse' program, Raluca Dumitrana.

Although inspired by the tradition of Spanish cheeses, Horezu matured cheese is a product that is as Romanian as possible, made with respect for the local specifics, according to the producers. The product is currently the most awarded in its category at the national level, accumulating 11 medals at international competitions. The most recent distinction was obtained last year, when it received, for the second time, the gold medal at the World Cheese Awards.

The current factory in Horezu continues the activity of a milk processing unit established in the 1980s, being modernized in 2001 with European funds by Spanish investors. They came with a new technology and production recipe, but the raw material comes exclusively from Romania, which practically differentiates the product on the international market.

'I think it greatly influences the presentation of the town of Horezu that, in addition to the ceramics and the monastery, we also have a cheese factory as a gastronomic point. What is special about this cheese, compared to other cheeses on the international market? First of all, the milk matters, the raw material, which decisively influences the taste. We are talking about milk from the Turcana sheep breed, a traditional Romanian breed, which has a particularly fatty and very good milk. We no longer produce any other variety. We only make this cheese from pasteurized sheep's milk, and we haven't changed our milk suppliers for several years. We buy from areas in Valcea, Gorj and Sibiu counties, from local farmers with the best milk', said Laura Ion, the manager of the factory in Horezu.

The factory has a processing capacity of approximately 12,000 liters of milk per day and supplies Horezu cheese made from sheep's milk to retail chains in Europe, especially in Spain, Germany, France, Latvia and Romania. However, representatives of the unit say that they are not currently considering diversifying the product range.

Horezu cheese is certified as a 'mountain product', a certification that confirms the quality and origin of the raw material from lightly polluted areas, but it cannot be registered in the register of products with Protected Geographical Indication due to the Spanish-inspired recipe, Laura Ion also said. AGERPRES (RO - writing by: Ramona Dinca; EN - writing by: Bogdan Gabaroi)