Shepherds have always gotten through tough times in the stables and the need to continuously ensure food, forced them to use alternative ways of conserving or processing the products.

Shëllira e Kaçupit (salted milk brine) is a product obtained from sheep’s milk aged in a Kaçup (an animal skin sack). This craft has been passed down in Labëria region from generation to generation, but this tradition is gradually dying out. The large number of people abandoning the village and necessarily the life in stable accounts for this ancient tradition being steadily less practiced by shepherds and residents in the villages. Luckily, there are still a few shepherds who continue the tradition of making salted milk brine. Lavdurim Kalemi from the village of Kolonjë in Gjirokastra, who has inherited the tradition of shëllira e kacupit for generations, continues to offer this product.

How is an animal skin sack made?

First, the ram’s or goat’s skin, which should be as large as possible, is cured with salt. Next, 2-3 kg of salt is added to the skin and repeatedly rubbed for as long as possible until a portion of the salt has been absorbed. The skin is then folded and left to rest for 1 week covered with salt.

Next, the hide is shaved off to create a very clean surface. Once the shaving process is finished, the skin sack is dipped into the water. When the leather softens, it is taken out of the water, and as moisture seeps out from the leather, it is inflated with air and left to sun-dry for 1-2 days depending on the weather. Once the skin dries, it is washed with clean water and left again to dry.

How is shëllira e kacupit made?

First, the milk obtained from the milked cattle is strained and boiled. It is left to cool down and is added inside the leather sack with an amount of salt which is determined as per the case depending on the amount of milk and the size of the leather sack. The leather sack is filled up and tied closed with twine string or linen rope. It is then placed on the bed (special place), with the whey continually scrapped off. Further, the leather sack is cleaned from the outside each day with a penknife, until the whole whey is removed and the salted milk brine remains, which is poured into a special vessel. Shëllira e kacupit has up to 8 months endurance.