Branding Tolmin Cheese

Abstract

The author presents the history of local cheese evaluation, from the commodification at the end of the 19th century to modern qualification instruments, emphasizing the collective trademark and the protected designation of origin. The main actors involved in the branding process, their objectives, effects, and specific features are outlined. In addition to strengthening agricultural production, food processing, and market supply, the branding processes have shaped and consolidated representations of (past) regional cheese production and livestock breeding, and have built locality.

Introduction: The (In)visibility of Multi-locality in Theory and Practice

“…Numerous Slovenian villages have maintained the traditional system of access to particular mountain pastures in the Alps, where villagers take their herds to pasture in the summer months and also manufacture milk products, particularly cheese. Ethnologists have focused on these practices primarily as a form of heritage -one that has, due to various reasons, been increasingly abandoned (Ledinek Lozej, 2002, 2013, which in turn has spurred changes in the alpine cultural landscape (see also, e.g., Minnich, 1998). Certain researchers, such as the anthropologist Jaka Repič (2014), have also focused on these traditional livelihood strategies as mobile and multi-local practices, shedding light on the routes and seasonal dwelling practices in the highland pastures.…”

Hodopisi

“…Na poti mi pokaže lesene žlebove, po katerih je bila nekoč speljana voda od izvira do Jezerc ter pripoveduje, kako sta s Tončkom speljala vodo do Krstenice. Pokaže mi gorski pelin, materino dušico, koprc ter rože, ki sodijo v pušeljc.34 Dolgoletno krsteniško majerco, ki je v planini preživela štirideset poletij med letoma 1976 in 2016.35V planini Velo polje so pasli upravičenci iz Podjelja, medtem ko so bili na Krstenici (predvsem, a ne izključno) iz Češnjice in z Jereke(Ledinek 1999;Ledinek Lozej 2002).pušeljcbesedami, z verbalno artikulacijo informacij. Medtem ko sem bila ob opazovanju z udeležbo primorana opazovano oziroma opaženo sama prevesti v besede, pa se ob pridružitvi opravkom več zapiskov nanaša na priložnostne artikulacije, ki jih sprožijo cvetlice ob poti oziroma mesto, kjer je sopotnik pred leti počival zaradi zvitega gležnja.…”