The career of Novak Djokovic, arguably the greatest talent in tennis history, has brought him fame, the admiration of his peers and just about every material possession he could desire. So it was only natural that a donkey cheese farm in the Balkans would sooner or later catch his eye.
At least one as prestigious as the Zasavica Special Nature Reserve, located on the outskirts of Sremska Mitrovica, a small town in northern Serbia, about an hour’s drive west of Belgrade. The only known producer of ‘pule’ (donkey cheese) in the world, its rarity means that products made by mules sell for around £1,000 per kilogram.
Having apparently spotted an untapped opportunity in his own backyard, reports emerged in December 2012 that Djokovic had purchased the farm and every crumb of coagulated content planned for 2013. The world number one was quick to explain that his investment was perhaps not may not be so important, but his answer implied that he had a vested interest in this lactose-laden gold mine.
“It’s not entirely true that we bought all the stock of donkey cheese, even though it’s the first time in my life that I’ve heard that donkey cheese exists,” said Djokovic at the time. “There is a farm in Serbia that produces this donkey cheese and from what I understand it is the only farm in the world, which is very interesting.
READ MORE: John McEnroe slams Andre Agassi in £880,000 exhibition match.
“They came to our restaurant and offered the operation. We are thinking and seeing what we can do with it. But it is not true that I bought all the stock. But if so, I’ll definitely send you some cheese so you can try it. »
Besides its rarity, pule is a labor-intensive cheese that requires 25 liters of donkey’s milk to produce a single kilogram of the final product. The recipe also calls for a healthy dose of goat’s milk (up to 40%), resulting in a cheese described as “very, very rich”.
As if that weren’t enough to prove the popularity of the product, Djokovic confirmed that he doesn’t even adhere to the old try-before-you-buy method of buying the site. “From what I understand, this is incredible quality,” he added. “I haven’t tried it yet, but I’m looking forward to it, because it’s such an interesting story, isn’t it?
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This answer raises the question of whether Djokovic did not attempt to dismiss the world from the (substantial) smell he found after hearing about his purchase. Given Sremska Mitrovica’s proximity to his birthplace in Belgrade, has tennis finally discovered that donkey’s milk is the true source of Nole’s on-court qualities?
Probably not, in all likelihood, but it’s nice to dream that a dip in the creamery could give any of us the power to win a joint-record 22 Grand Slam crowns. At the very least, Djokovic’s bank balance was likely boosted by his early entry into the pulp market, using his Serbian connections when he had just five major titles to his name to carve out a very niche market. particularly in the cheese industry.
