Niva is a wheel of crumbly blue cheese made with cow's milk exclusively from milk from the designated area in South Bohemia. It has an ivory to cream-coloured paste with regular green to bluish-green veins. A cream to light brown rind may show some signs of the blue veining and have a partly waxy finish. This cheese contains 50% fat (dry). It may be found in the following dimensions: 18-20 cm (7-8") diameter by 10 cm (4") deep, weighing around 2.8 kg (6 lbs). Affinage is at least four weeks and then wrapped in aluminium foil. The flavour is salty and pungent.
Jihočeská Niva blue cheese has been produced at the Český Krumlov plant using the same production method since 1951. The cheese is named after the meadows and pastures of Šumava, where the cow's milk is produced and then taken to the Český Krumlov plant. The milk is from one of the least polluted regions. The pastures are located in the protected areas of Novohradské Hory, Blanský les and Šumava. The flavour of the milk is affected by the local flora. For details of these see http://www.formaggio.it/RepCeca/JihoceskaNivaE.htm
