Sándor Tamás Sajtmanufaktúra (Bükki Kézműves Sajtmanufaktúra)
Family dairy at Mónosbél in the Bükk, near Eger, making cow's milk cheeses and orda, with gomolya to order. Tastings come with Eger, Mátraalja and Tokaj wines; phone ahead.
About Gomolya
A fresh, salted cheese in a loaf shape (cipó) drained in cloth, so the weave of the strainer leaves its pattern on the smooth skin. The national HÍR collection of traditional foods describes a bone-white cheese of about 3 kg whose cut face is rich in curd holes (röglyukas). It was once made from raw sheep's milk and is now mostly industrial pasteurised cow's milk, with goat versions too. The book files it under northern Hungary, which includes Heves, and one of its names is palócz gomolya. In the Eger area the Sándor Tamás dairy at Mónosbél lists it plain, with clover or with chives, to order, and Vidéki Sajt at Ostoros lists it too.
Made in: Made across Hungary; the national HÍR collection files it in its northern Hungary chapter, which covers Borsod-Abaúj-Zemplén, Heves and Nógrád
On the plate
Fresh, lactic and aromatic, pleasantly salty. The paste is smooth, sometimes slightly shiny, springy and a little chewy; it slices cleanly and holds its shape. Dry matter is 50 to 56 percent, according to the HÍR collection.
Rind: none, eaten fresh
Wine and cheese
What to pour with Gomolya
Dry Hárslevelű (varietal) Tokaj
Our pickGomolya is a fresh, lactic and pleasantly salty cheese, per the HÍR collection; the floral notes of a dry Hárslevelű sit alongside it without overpowering it.
Dry Furmint (unoaked or lightly oaked) Tokaj
Our pickGomolya is a fresh cheese, eaten plain, grilled or kept in spiced oil; the high acidity of an unoaked or lightly oaked dry Furmint cuts through the cheese and the oil.
Late harvest (Késői szüretelésű) Tokaj
Our pickA late-harvest Tokaj of Furmint and Hárslevelű is sweet and fruit-led with a high acidity; beside fresh gomolya, plain or grilled, it plays the part that fruit or honey plays beside a fresh cheese.
Egri Csillag, Leányka or Olaszrizling Eger
Our pickThe HÍR collection describes gomolya as fresh, lactic and pleasantly salty. A fresh Egri Csillag or Leányka, or a higher-acid Olaszrizling, keeps pace with it without covering it.
The grapes behind these winesFurmintLeanykaHárslevelűOlaszrizling
From the source
Where to buy and taste it
Zempléni Sajt
Hand-made cheese from its own cows' milk in Tarcal, at the foot of the Tokaj wine region, ripened 3 to 8 weeks; a small shop at the workshop, and web orders collected by appointment.
Cheese experiences nearby
Sándor Tamás Sajtmanufaktúra: cheese tastings and estate visit
Five programmes at the Mónosbél dairy: four 1 to 2 hour tastings of Bükk cow's milk cheeses with wine, two adding sheep and goat cheese, and a 5 to 6 hour estate and pasture visit.
Cheese-making afternoon at Tokaji Sajt
Cheese-making afternoons at the Tokaji Sajt shop in Tokaj, an indoor programme for families and friends; the 2025 run was six Saturdays from late April to early September.
Tóth Ferenc Pincészet: wine and cheese tasting
Four of the Tóth Ferenc winery's wines with four matched cheeses and the reasoning behind each pairing, booked ahead in Eger for groups of four or more.
Group cheese tasting at Mádi Sajt
The Mád cheese workshop hosts tastings of its cheeses for groups of 10 to 30 people; groups arrange a date with the workshop in advance.
Egri Piaccsarnok producers' market
Eger's market hall on Katona István tér has dairy stalls Monday to Saturday. A producers' and crafts market is held there on the second Saturday of each month; the April 2025 edition listed cheesemakers.
Gomolya: questions
Is gomolya a protected cheese?
No protected designation is given for it. It is recorded in the national HÍR collection of traditional foods, which describes it as a fresh cheese of about 3 kg.
How big is a gomolya?
The HÍR collection gives about 3 kg for a whole loaf.
What milk is gomolya made from?
Raw sheep's milk in the past, raw mixed milk in the first half of the 20th century, and mostly industrially pasteurised cow's milk today, according to the HÍR collection. It lists sheep, cow and goat versions.
Where can I buy gomolya near Eger?
The Sándor Tamás dairy at Mónosbél lists plain, clover and chive gomolya on its own site, marked as made to order. Vidéki Sajt at Ostoros also lists a gomolya.
Same cheeseboard
More cheeses from Eger
Plan the trip
Visit Gomolya country
Tastings and tours where it is made, and somewhere to stay.
Booking links go to our partners (GetYourGuide, Viator, Zen Hotels), who may pay us a commission. It never decides what we cover. Editorial standards.
Sources: gi.kormany.hu, hellohungary.hu. The drawing is made from the cheese's recorded shape, rind and paste, not a photograph.