Original Pag products

The Pag salt

Salt is the white gold of the town of Pagbeing produced for a thousand years. The Pag salines are one of the oldest salines with the most intensive production on the Croatian coast. The traditional way of producing salt via natural evaporation was abandoned 25 years ago when the salt factory was built that today harvests over 2 million m² and, together with its warehouses and factories, make up the largest manufacturing plant in Croatia.

Pag cheese

The Pag cheese is the best known and most respected sheep’s cheese in Croatia. It is characterised by a pleasant spicy flavour and its colouring is light to dark yellow, depending on age. It is made of sheep’s milk from the Pag sheep, which graze on rocky pastures that are rich in various types of aromatic and medicinal plants. In addition, special value is added by the traces of salt that remain on the grass following the bora – the strong north wind that on the island of Pag.

The Pag cheese is one of the most recognizable Croatian brands, both in the country and abroad. The island of Pag produces about 220 tons of cheese each year.

The Pag sheep

The Pag sheep is a native Croatian breed that belongs to the group of Mediterranean sheep. They live throughout the island of Pag, whey they are mostly bred today. Today, sheep breeding and tourism are the most important economic sectors in the area. It is generally thought that, given the available grazing lands on the island of Pag, a figure of around 30,000 sheep is probably optimal. The sheep are kept out in the open day and night throughout the year. They are fed by grazing on the poor rockeries and eating hay, corn and fodder mixtures.

The Pag lamb

Pag lamb is the second most important product of the Pag sheep. This is the most common lamb meat on the market and is created by the same sheep breeders who produce the Pag cheese.

The lambs are only fed the sheep’s natural milk, which gives the meat a special taste. The Pag lamb meat is pale pink, lean and delicate. The lamb meat is prepared in various ways, most notably using a rotisserie.

Pag Cheese and Sheep Fair

The Town of Novalja and the Sheep Breeders’ Association have launched an event called the Pag Cheese and Sheep Fair, which was assigned the task of promoting the sheep and cheese through tourism, while at the same time enhancing the development of animal husbandry in Pag using scientific approaches.

It takes place every year on the first weekend of July and includes an evaluation of the quality of the cheese and of the best collections of sheep and rams.

In addition, there are conferences on topics related to improving the quality of sheep, cheese and meat. Regular topics are related to the future of the sheep on the island, the introduction of new standards in the production of cheese, etc.

Naski

We would also like to mention something from our treasury house, and that is the local Naski dance, which is danced in colourful costumes to the music of the local bagpipes.