At the edge of Cund, the Varga family’s cheese workshop hums with the scent of milk and time. What began as a small family farm has grown into one of Romania’s most respected artisanal producers: Manufactura de Brânză.

Here, milk from cows grazing the surrounding hills is turned into unpasteurised cheese using Alpine-inspired methods. Among their creations is the famed black cheese, aged with charcoal and spice — a bold emblem of Transylvanian creativity.