Pule is the world's most expensive cheese and is made from the milk of Balkan donkeys.

Pule cheese is produced exclusively at the Zasavica Special Nature Reserve in Serbia, founded by Slobodan Simić in 1997. The reserve is home to about 300 Balkan donkeys, an endangered breed that produces very small quantities of milk compared to cows or goats. A single donkey provides only about 0.2 to 0.5 liters of milk per day, making the raw material exceptionally scarce.The high price, which can reach $1,300 per kilogram, is driven by the labor-intensive production process. It requires 25 liters of fresh donkey milk to yield just one kilogram of smoked Pule cheese. Because donkey milk lacks enough casein to coagulate on its own, the farm uses a secret process involving 60% donkey milk and 40% goat milk, combined with specialized rennet.Donkey milk is highly valued for its nutritional profile, as it is rich in vitamin C and low in fat. Historically, it was famously used by Cleopatra for its skin-rejuvenating properties. Today, the Zasavica farm remains the only commercial producer of this cheese in the world, ensuring its status as one of the rarest culinary delicacies.