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Gastrotourism (producers of local food products). Southern Ukraine

Cheeseries

Farms

The Chesseries

“The European Cheesery”

The Family Cheese Factory “Shchedra Okolytsia”

The Organic Artisanal Cheesery «Lichtenfeld»

Cheesery and Eco-Hotel “Kuba-Daleko”

The Artisanal Cheesery «LILION CHEESE»

“The European Cheesery”

the village of Shabo, Bilhorod-Dnistrovskyi District, Odesa Region

“The European Cheesery” is located in a picturesque corner of the Odesa Region, in the village of Shabo, a historic settlement founded by Swiss colonists. In this area, rich in tradition and renowned for its extensive vineyards and distinguished wines, exceptionally flavorful cheese is also produced according to carefully developed proprietary recipes.
The cheesery was built in accordance with European standards and is equipped with state-of-the-art machinery imported from the Netherlands. Here, cheese is crafted using authentic Dutch technologies by some of the most skilled master cheesemakers in Ukraine.
Exclusively live Dutch starter cultures are used in production, imparting a distinctive character, refined texture, and delicate, well-balanced flavor to each variety. The use of latex and paraffin coatings ensures proper maturation, allowing the cheese to age correctly while maintaining optimal breathing conditions.
The cheesery operates a fully integrated production cycle, from the cultivation of animal feed to the processing of raw milk and the creation of the final product: premium-quality cheese.
Every stage of the cheesemaking process is subject to rigorous quality control, from the inspection of incoming raw materials to the finished products offered in the branded retail store. This comprehensive system ensures consistently high standards of both product quality and customer service.
The cheesery organizes engaging guided tours during which visitors are introduced to the production process and the craft’s key techniques, followed by tastings of the finished cheeses.
The grounds feature a children’s playground, comfortable relaxation areas, and a small animal enclosure where guests may feed the animals and receive detailed information about their care. A shop is also available, offering visitors the opportunity to purchase organic cheeses of their choice as well as souvenir products.

The Family Cheese Factory “Shchedra Okolytsia”

the village of Tabaky, Bolhrad District, Odesa Region

Cheese factory “Shchedra Okolytsia” is a small experimental family production with modern equipment and its own cheese cellar. The company is engaged in the manufacture of traditional and original cheeses, dairy products. The cheese factory is located in a unique place – at the base of one of the famous Traianovy Val in the village of Tabaky on the outskirts of Bolhrad. Within the framework of the project “The Road of Wine and Taste of Ukrainian Besarabia”, the founders of the enterprise Halyna and Petro Kurdovs aim to preserve and popularize traditional Besarabian cheeses, restore forgotten recipes.
Excursions to the cheese factory include visits to production workshops and basements where cheeses ripen in the cold. Guests are shown the production process of cheese making, during which all operations are carried out manually. After the tour, guests can be offered a tasting of finished products and master classes on the production of traditional cheese.

Degustation of traditional and signature cheeses of 8-10 types (assortment varies depending on the season)
Tasting set:
– Up to 10 types of cheese – 6 types of cheese and 3-4 types of soft cheese;
– fruits, dried fruits, nuts and honey (for each type of cheese we suggest trying with which fruit or honey it is combined);
– a glass of local wine, water.
Duration of tasting – 2 hours.
We conduct a master class “Brynza Bessarabska”. Tourists participate in cutting a curd, shape the cheese into molds and after tasting the cheeses, they taste the finished cheese or take it with them. Master class with tasting and excursion takes 3:00 hours.

The Organic Artisanal Cheesery «Lichtenfeld»

the village of Kudriavka, Berezivka District, Odesa Region

The organic artisanal cheesery “Lichtenfeld” is a family brand from Odesa that has been producing what its founders call “real” cheese for approximately nine years. Its owners, Oleksandr and Olena Dobrozhanski, a married couple originally from Odesa, relocated to the Odesa Region after the outbreak of the war in the Donbas region of eastern Ukraine. They settled in the village of Kudriavka, where they later established their own small-scale farm.
The name of the brand was not chosen by chance. Until the beginning of the twentieth century, German colonists lived in this area, and their settlement was called Lichtenfeld. A neighboring village now bears the modern name Yasnopillia, which, when translated from German, corresponds precisely to the name Lichtenfeld.
The decision to establish their own artisanal cheesery was shaped by several factors. The birth of their daughter prompted the couple to reassess their established views on life and to recognize that the quality of the food and the environment in which they were living did not meet their expectations.
Oleksandr had previously worked for many years in marketing and in the retail food chain sector. He understood clearly that consumers have no reliable means of determining product quality based solely on packaging or taste. As he noted on the company’s website, food manufacturers have reached such a high level of technological sophistication that even professional tasters are sometimes unable to detect counterfeit products.
In 2014, Oleksandr volunteered for military service at the front. After returning from active combat operations, he decided to leave urban life in Odesa. Despite a successful career prior to the war and ownership of two apartments in the city, he chose a quieter life centered on family.
“War puts all values in their proper place. I realized that living with my family every hour of every day is more valuable than thousands of dollars in salary. I want to wake up beside my wife and live without constant haste. That is why we decided not to return to our apartment in Odesa, but instead to build our life in the village,” Oleksandr explains.
Oleksandr describes his cheeses as “robust.” His storage facilities hold approximately two and a half metric tons of product, ranging from cheeses smoked over cherry wood chips to aged Cheddars that crumble in the manner of Parmesan.
“I never know exactly what kind of cheese will emerge when I pour milk into the vat. I sense the character of the curd, and everything influences it, from air pressure to the cheesemaker’s state of mind,” he says.
Some of his recipes were learned from shepherds in Catalonia, while others were acquired in Switzerland, France, Italy, and the Netherlands.
“We produce only two categories of cheese: hard cheese and blue cheese. Milk in the morning, cheese in the morning. No refrigeration, no stabilizers, no calcium chloride. The way it was made three hundred years ago,” the cheesemaker explains.
Although the initial plan was to focus on major metropolitan markets, Oleksandr’s principal customers ultimately became residents of villages and small towns. Blue cheeses have proven to be the best-selling products.
“Ukrainians are gourmets. They understand flavor. The first surprise for me, as someone accustomed to analysis and forecasting, was that blue cheeses sell better than hard cheeses. The second was that sales are stronger in small towns and villages than in large cities,” he admits.
Products of the Lichtenfeld Farm
As the producer states on the official website, all products are made by hand and contain no preservatives, no vegetable fats, and no flavor enhancers. Cheese production relies solely on the cheesemaker, a copper cauldron, a stirring paddle, milk, professional experience, and creative inspiration.
Each product contains only the ingredients listed in its composition. The farm produces cheese exclusively from fresh milk, starter cultures, natural calf rennet, and salt. For example, the composition of Lichtenfeld cheese includes whole milk, Emmentaler starter cultures, natural rennet ferment, and salt.
The farm’s principal products are cheeses. Cow’s milk cheeses are crafted using various technologies of differing complexity and in accordance with the traditions of European cheesemaking schools. In total, ten varieties of cow’s milk cheese are produced, including Cheddar, Ramses, Montblanc, Lichtenfeld, Cabernet, Yaroslav, as well as blue cheeses such as Combazzola, Albion, Weinekäs, and others. The farm also produces five varieties of goat cheese made from natural goat’s milk.
In addition to cheese, the shop offers natural butter products, including clarified butter, nourishing Ayurvedic ghee, and cultured butter made from whole farm milk and rich in probiotic cultures. The ассортимент also includes strong alcoholic and non-alcoholic beverages, such as absinthe, bourbon, gin, schnapps, and others, as well as the farm’s own May honey.

Cheesery and Eco-Hotel “Kuba-Daleko”

the village of Prymorske, Izmail District, Odesa Region

Brynzarnia and the eco-hotel “Kuba-Daleko” are located on the territory of the Danube Biosphere Reserve, near the resort area of the village of Prнmorske, near the town of Vylkove on the canals in the Danube Delta. The complex is part of the culture of multinational Bessarabia, with its love for nature and the ability to enjoy life with all its gifts – the sun, clean air, communication with our “smaller brothers”, and, of course, delicious food.
Brynzarnia has its own goat farm where high-quality feta cheese is produced. The best conditions have been created here for the production of high-quality goat cheese, which is traditional for this area, and for recreation in an ecologically clean place. Goats are kept on free grazing near protected areas with clean air and soils without chemicals.
Brynza is a product that unites local people. It is very useful: it contains a lot of calcium and phosphorus, easily digestible protein and vitamins, while its calorie content is only 260 kcal. The owners constantly experiment with it – they mix it with herbs, soak it in wine.

Every time you get a good product, because the main thing in feta cheese is not additional impurities, but high-quality milk in the base. Tastings take place in the house-museum of Lipovan (Old Believer) life. Tourists will have a short excursion into the history of Besarabia, a story about the farm and a tour of cheesery. After the tasting, guests can purchase local products and souvenirs.
The cuisine of the institution is tasty and varied, just like the ethnic composition of the region: more than 100 different nationalities live in Besarabia. The owners of the cheesery are members of the global slow food movement, which encourages the development of regional cuisines, the use of environmentally friendly local products, and most importantly – treating food as a ritual, when the whole family gathers at the table and all important matters are discussed at lunch.
For tasting it is proposed:
– feta cheese: young, soak in wine, pickled;
– greenery;
– canapes with baked pepper, dried feta cheese and spices;
– seasonal canapes with fruits or vegetables and spices based on feta cheese;
– slicing: goat sujuk with Besarabian spices;
– goat / cow milk: 0.5 cups;
– wine “Novak”: 100 ml;
– distillates: 3-4 types, 15 ml each.
The tasting lasts one hour. Shopping after tasting – 30 minutes.

The Artisanal Cheesery «LILION CHEESE»

Bilhorod-Dnistrovskyi, Odesa Region

n the city of Bilhorod-Dnistrovskyi, the artisanal cheesery “LILION CHEESE” has been successfully operating and steadily developing for several years. Recently, its owner, Liliia Molodan, completed an intensive training program in business development organized by the Regional Development Agency of the Odesa Region within the framework of the project “The Artisanal Workshop of the Odesa Region: The Path to Growth”.
As a result of participating in this program, the cheesery became the winner of the competition “From Craft to Brand” and received an updated brand book, redesigned packaging, and professional product photography.
“This gave the brand a fresh breath of life and opened the way to a broader audience,” representatives of the Regional Development Agency explained.
The cheesery was founded in 2022 in the courtyard of the Molodan family home. Prior to that, the family operated their own farm and for more than ten years produced cottage cheese, brynza (a traditional brined cheese), sour cream, cream, and butter. However, one day everything changed, and Liliia began making cheese by hand.
“One day I tried to produce a truly authentic semi-hard cheese, and it turned out well. My family loved it. The children were delighted that we always had cheese for sandwiches and pizza, and that is how I began making cheese. Gradually, admirers of our little cheeses began to appear. This inspired us even more, and we decided that the time had come to build a proper cheesery, fully equipped and comfortable to work in. Step by step, we purchased everything we needed, and now our own cheesery stands in our courtyard, while our cows remain under the constant supervision of my husband, who is a veterinarian,” Liliia shared on the cheesery’s website while recounting the story of its founding.
Today, she produces more than fifty varieties of cheese. The assortment includes a wide range of artisanal products, from delicate fresh cheeses to denser aged varieties, as well as original signature creations distinguished by balanced flavors and unexpected aromatic notes.
“LILION CHEESE” is a story about faith in one’s work, the warmth of skilled hands, and the authenticity of flavor. Here, the pursuit of scale is not the goal. Instead, the chosen path is that of honest craftsmanship, where quality and confidence in the product remain the highest values. Producers such as this shape the artisanal potential of the Odesa Region, preserving its authenticity and creating products with character and soul,” representatives of the Regional Development Agency emphasized.

The farms

The Family production of meat delicacies “Balkanski Yastiya”

The Eco-farm “SnailFarm”

The oyster farm “Oysterville”
The oyster farm “The Scythian Oysters”

Black Sea Honey and Nut Cluster

The Family production of meat delicacies “Balkanski Yastiya”

Bolhrad, Odesa Region

Family production of meat delicacies “Balkansky Yastia” in Bolgrad is a mini workshop that provides all stages of the production of dry-cured sausages and meat delicacies from natural raw materials. The company was founded by the Besarabian family of Sergei and Natalia Rusevs. Products are made according to ancient Balkan recipes using local raw materials of local breeds of animals and spices grown independently.
In addition to production facilities, the wine and gastronomic tourist location has a branded store of finished products and a tasting room decorated in the style of a traditional Bulgarian mekhana (national restaurant). Mekhana “Balkan Yastia” has a museum exposition on ethnographic topics: authentic costumes of Besarabian and Thracian Bulgarians, handmade carpets, antique furniture, various containers for drinks, including more than 400 decanters for wine and crayfish.

During the excursions, the owner of the enterprise Sergey Rusev tells about the history of the enterprise, the search for authentic recipes for the production of products and the preparation of traditional Bulgarian dishes, about the stages of production and the raw materials used in the process. During the visit, under the guidance of a technologist, you can take part in the production of sausages. The tour ends with a tasting of the best samples of finished products. Visitors have the opportunity to be photographed in national dress. For groups of 5 people or more, master classes on cooking traditional Balkan dishes are held with a trip to the Belgorod market, where you can buy seasonal vegetables and spices from local grans.The tastings take place in the “mehanа” – a traditional style degustation room with a large number of old Bulgarian household items. The tastings presented:
– dry-cured pork sujuk;
– dry-cured pork/beef sujuk;
– dry-cured beef sujuk;
– dried pork;
– dried pork/beef;
– dried beef;
– pastorma dried
– karnak;
– spices (chybritsa, hot salt, myrudia, pepper);
– homemade liqueurs;
– a glass of wine, water, homemade kvass (uzvar, compote).
Tasting lasts 60 minutes.
The excursion includes inspection of the ethnographic exposition, as well as acquaintance with the production, where you can see modern equipment, a camera for drying sausages and a shop for storing finished products. The tour is included in the tasting price.

The Eco-farm “SnailFarm”

the village of Safiany, Izmail District, Odesa Region

SnailFarm is engaged in the cultivation and marketing of the Mediterranean snails most demanded in Europe – Helix aspersa Muller.
🐌 The Helix aspersa Muller snail is grown on a snail farm near Izmail using European technology, only on natural feed, without chemicals.

Visitors are offered a guided tour of the farm, followed by a snail tasting:
Snail Mediterranean by Burgundy. 1 portion-12 pcs.
Ingredients: snail fillet, butter, white wine, pepper, salt, parsley, dill, celery, garlic, onion, lemon, ginger, parmesan.
Mediterranean snail in Besarabian style. 1 portion-12 pcs.
Ingredients: snail fillet, butter, white wine, pepper, salt, a mixture of Bessarabian spices, pepper paste, chili pepper.
Snail soup with chicken broth.
Ingredients: broth, snail fillet, butter, cream, sour cream, salt, parsley, dill.
Snail pies, snail caviar.
Campfire meals:
Pilaf with snails,
Lipovans yushka,
Fried crucian carp,
Sea casserole by Ust-Dunaisk.
Tasting of homemade wines and natural homemade beer.

The oyster farm “Oysterville”

the village of Kordon, Odesa District, Odesa Region

The oyster farm “The Scythian Oysters”

the village of Ukrainka, Berezanskyi District, Mykolaiv Region

“Oysterville” and “The Scythian Oysters” form a unique oyster farm complex without parallel in Ukraine. The farms were founded by Andrii and Asia Pihulevsky.
Ukraine’s first oyster farm, “The Scythian Oysters,” was established in 2014 in the Mykolaiv Region on the shore of the Tiligul Liman, a coastal lagoon connected to the Black Sea. “Oysterville” was opened during the war, in the spring of 2022, in the Odesa Region.
The mission of the farms is to revive the culture of oyster consumption in Ukraine and throughout the entire Black Sea basin, a tradition that was already well developed in the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries.
It is noteworthy that an oyster-producing region existed in southern Ukraine as early as the time of the Scythians, from the eighth century before Christ to the fourth century of the Common Era. Oyster consumption has therefore been historically rooted in this territory for centuries.
It is precisely in the Tiligul Liman, one of the most environmentally pristine areas of Ukraine, where the salinity of the water exceeds thirty parts per thousand, approximately twice that of the Black Sea, that Black Sea oysters known as “The Scythian Oysters” are cultivated. The Pacific oyster, Crassostrea gigas, sourced from a renowned oyster hatchery in western France, is distinguished by tender flesh, a delicate marine aroma, and a subtle nutty aftertaste. A unique cultivation system developed by a Ukrainian team makes it possible to grow market-ready oysters within sixteen months. They are best enjoyed with a glass of dry white wine.

On the shore of the liman there is a tasting terrace that can accommodate up to one hundred and forty guests at a time. It offers shaded seating with benches and tables. The tasting experience includes six oysters and two glasses of white wine. Why six oysters? Six medium-sized oysters provide the recommended daily intake of iron, copper, iodine, magnesium, calcium, zinc, and phosphorus, as well as vitamins A, B, C, and D. Oysters are considered a dietary product. They have a natural sheen due to their high glycogen content, while their caloric value does not exceed sixty calories per one hundred grams. Moreover, not long ago, a joint team of American and Italian scientists demonstrated that oysters contain rare amino acids that stimulate the production of sex hormones, which explains their reputation as a natural aphrodisiac.
Following the tasting, guests are invited to take a guided tour of the farm. The entire program lasts between one and one and a half hours.
In addition to oysters, wine, and pleasant conversation, visitors may sunbathe and swim in the clear waters of the liman. Nearby there is a kiteboarding station where guests may practice kiteboarding after completing a safety briefing, try stand-up paddleboarding, or sail on a catamaran.

Además de las ostras, el vino y la agradable comunicación, en el territorio se puede tomar el sol y bañarse en las aguas cristalinas del limán. Cerca se encuentra una estación de kitesurf, donde se puede practicar kitesurf (es necesario realizar una instrucción previa), paddle surf o navegar en un catamarán a vela.

Black Sea Honey and Nut Cluster

near the villages of Yasky and Troitske, Biliaivka District, Odesa Region

“The Black Sea Honey and Nut Cluster” is located near the villages of Yaski and Troitske near Biliaivka. The core of the cluster is the cooperatives “Black Sea Walnut” and “Black Sea Berries”, which have mixed gardens of 240 hectares, a greenhouse complex and vertical integration from growing seedlings to the production of finished products from walnuts, hazelnuts and rose hips Honey products are produced by “Honey Food” at its own facilities with an area of 6,000 sq. m.

The facility is open to tourist groups for guided tours and tastings, and also offers the opportunity to become a member of its production and investment cooperative cluster.
For tastings it is proposed:
– milk walnut (seeds soaked in ozonized water, cleared from the shell);
– dry walnut kernels, peeled, with the addition of salt, fructose;
– slices of walnut with honey
– blanched hazelnuts.

Eno Tourism (winemaking). Odesa. Southern Ukraine