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Fermentation Atlas

Cheese from Egypt

Domiatiجبنة دمياطي

Domiati is Egypt's white brined cheese. Unlike feta, salt goes into the warm milk before the rennet, so the curd sets in salty milk. The curd drains lightly pressed overnight, is cut into cubes and is pickled in tins of its own salty whey, eaten fresh or after about three months. Made in 5 steps over 2 months – 3 months. The longest step, pickle in its own whey, takes 2–3 months (Helal A 2023). Salt is 8 % (Helal A 2023). Enterococci, the dominant cocci (Enterococcus faecium in every sample; 5.4–8.1 log CFU/g), helped by the high salt and Lactococcus lactis subsp. lactis and Lactococcus garvieae do most of the fermenting.

Key numbers
Main step2–3 monthsReported[helal2023][awad2010]Pickle in its own whey
Temperature37 °CReported[helal2023]Warm the milk and salt it
Salt8 %Reported[helal2023][elsaadany2024]Warm the milk and salt it

Recipe

Amounts from a sourceThe amounts follow the classic method of Fahmi and Sharara (1950) as used in a 2023 study, not a standard; salt levels vary widely in practice.
Cow or buffalo milk · Raw in the traditional method; pasteurised or microfiltered in studies[helal2023][awad2010]
8% of the milkSalt · Dissolved in the warm milk before renneting, in the classic 1950 method; studies use 3–5% for low-salt versions[helal2023][ayad2009]
Rennet[helal2023]
Startertraditionally none; the raw milk flora works in the salty curd; defined lactococcus starters have been tested

Total time across the recorded steps: 2 months – 3 months

Start
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37 °CSalt 8 %

What changes: Salt dissolves into the warm milk before any rennet goes in

Step 1 of 5
Warm the milk and salt it
Time
Not documented
Temperature
37 °C
Reported
Salt
8 %
Reported
Acidity
Not documented
Which microbes the steps name, step by step
Enterococcus faecium
Lactococcus lactis
Lactococcus garvieae

The salted milk is filtered through fine muslin.

Flavour
Not documented
Texture
Not documented
Colour
Not documented

Microbes at work in this step

Not documented for this step.

Method

Measured measured in a studySet fixed by a specification or tested recipeReported one source reports itTypical a general value, not sourced for this fermentUnconfirmed not yet checked against a source

What makes this one different

Domiati is salted before it sets. Salt, often around 8%, goes into the milk before the rennet, while feta, telemea and most white brined cheeses are salted after the curd forms. The salty milk favours salt-tolerant enterococci.

Milk
Cow or buffalo milk
Salting
Salt is added to the milk before coagulation, 8% in the classic method
Ripening
Fresh, or pickled about 2–3 months in its own salty whey
Composition
One analysis: 53.6% moisture, 24.0% fat, 16.4% protein, 4.0% salt

Related ferments

Variants

  • Fresh DomiatiEaten soon after making
  • Pickled (old) DomiatiRipened in tins of salty whey for months
  • Low-salt DomiatiMade with 3–5% salt and defined starters in studies

Safety

A study of 87 Domiati samples found Staphylococcus aureus with enterotoxin genes in two, so the milk hygiene matters even in this salty cheese. Some market samples also exceeded the Egyptian standard for lead (ES 7136:2010).

Hazards the sources name: Staphylococcus aureus carrying enterotoxin genes (2 isolates from 87 samples).

History and sources

Every number is labelled with how it is known. How this atlas is made

A classic study of Egyptian Domiati cheese by Fahmi and Sharara was published in 1950, and its method is still the reference in research. Domiati, Karish and Ras are the most popular traditional cheeses of Egypt.

  1. [helal2023] Helal A., Tagliazucchi D. 2023, Peptidomics profile, bioactive peptides identification and biological activities of six different cheese varieties, Biology 12(1):78 (method after Fahmi A.H., Sharara H.A. 1950, Studies on Egyptian Domiati cheese, Journal of Dairy Research 17:312–328)paper
  2. [elsaadany2024] Elsaadany K., El-Sayed A.I.M., Awad S. 2024, Identification, safety assessment, and antimicrobial characteristics of cocci lactic acid bacteria isolated from traditional Egyptian dairy products, Foods 13(19):3059paper
  3. [elsharoud2008] El-Sharoud W.M., Spano G. 2008, Diversity and enterotoxigenicity of Staphylococcus spp. associated with domiati cheese, Journal of Food Protection 71(12):2567–2571 (abstract)paper
  4. [ayad2009] Ayad E.H. 2009, Starter culture development for improving safety and quality of Domiati cheese, Food Microbiology 26(5):533–541 (abstract)paper
  5. [awad2010] Awad S., Ahmed N., El Soda M. 2010, Influence of microfiltration and adjunct culture on quality of Domiati cheese, Journal of Dairy Science 93(5):1807–1814 (abstract)paper
  6. [ibrahim2024] Ibrahim A.A., Awad S., Elsenduony M.M. 2024, Assessment of some chemical residues in Egyptian raw milk and traditional cheese, Open Veterinary Journal 14(2)paper