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Fermentation Atlas

Cheese from Croatia and Slovenia, Istria

Istarski ovčji sir / Istrski ovčji sir

Made in 6 steps over 2 months. The longest step, ripen, takes at least 2 months (Specifikacija 'Istarski ovčji sir/Istrski ovč…) and runs at up to 19 °C (Specifikacija 'Istarski ovčji sir/Istrski ovč…).

Key numbers
Main stepat least 2 monthsReported[poljoprivreda][news2025]Ripen
Temperatureup to 19 °CReported[poljoprivreda][news2025]Ripen

Recipe

No fixed amounts recordedWhat goes in. No source gives amounts for this ferment.
sheep milk, (any breed raised in the area), raw or pasteurised; cooled ≤6 °C within 2 h, processed within 48 h
Starter: mesophilic + thermophilic culture (mandatory if pasteurised; optional with raw milk); lysozyme 1–5 g/100 L allowed

Total time across the recorded steps: 2 months

Start
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up to 6 °C

What changes: Raw or pasteurised sheep milk goes into the vat

Step 1 of 6
Prepare the milk
Time
Not documented
Temperature
up to 6 °C
Reported
Salt
None given
Acidity
Not documented

S (any breed raised in the area), raw or pasteurised; cooled ≤6 °C within 2 h, processed within 48 h

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

Pecorino-type Istrian sheep cheese, semi-cooked; ≥60% dry matter, ≥45% FDM; casein marks; Istrian pramenka-only milk may be labelled as such.

Rind
Smooth, lemon- to dark-yellow; colourless polymer coat allowed
Size
Cylinder 16–22 cm diameter, 6–9 cm high, 1.8–4.5 kg

History and sources

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

  1. [poljoprivreda] Specifikacija 'Istarski ovčji sir/Istrski ovčji sir' (3.5.2023), Croatian Ministry of Agriculturegov
  2. [news2025] GOV.SI news 2025-12-10 (EU registration)web