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Cheese from Greece, island of Lemnos

Kalathaki Limnou PDOΚαλαθάκι Λήμνου

Sheep milk, or sheep milk mixed with goat milk, from Lemnos is coagulated at 33–34 °C and the curd is broken after 45–60 minutes. The curd drains and sours in wicker moulds that give the cheese its basket pattern, is salted on the surface and goes into tins of 6–8 % brine. It ripens 3 weeks at 14–18 °C, then at 6 °C until it is 2 months old.

Fully documentedCheese21 daysPDO (EU), registered by Commission Regulation (EC) No 1107/96 of 12 June 1996Family: White brined cheese family (Feta PDO as template)

Recipe

No fixed amounts recordedThe PDO summary gives temperatures, times and brine strength but no batch size or doses.
Sheep milk, or a mixture of sheep and goat milk, from Lemnos[kal-pdo]
CoagulantThe PDO summary says only that the milk is coagulated.[kal-pdo]
Salt, for surface salting and for a 6–8 % brine[kal-pdo]

Total time across the recorded steps: 21 days

Start
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33–34 °C

What changes: The coagulant sets the sheep milk at 33–34 °C

Step 1 of 6
Coagulate the milk
Time
45 min – 1 h
Set
Temperature
33–34 °C
Set
Salt
None given
Acidity
Not documented
Which microbes the steps name, step by step
Lactic acid bacteria
Enterococcus
Pediococcus
Leuconostoc
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

At a glance

Sheep milk, or sheep milk mixed with goat milk, from Lemnos is coagulated at 33–34 °C and the curd is broken after 45–60 minutes. The curd drains and sours in wicker moulds that give the cheese its basket pattern, is salted on the surface and goes into tins of 6–8 % brine. It ripens 3 weeks at 14–18 °C, then at 6 °C until it is 2 months old. Made in 6 steps over 21 days. The longest step, ripen warm in brine, takes 21 days (Union of Agricultural Cooperatives of Lymnos) and runs at 14–18 °C (Union of Agricultural Cooperatives of Lymnos). Salt is 6–8 % (Union of Agricultural Cooperatives of Lymnos). Lactic acid bacteria isolated from two Greek artisanal cheeses together, the PDO Kalathaki and the non-PDO Melichloro does most of the fermenting.

Key numbers
Main step21 daysSet[kal-pdo]Ripen warm in brine
Temperature14–18 °CSet[kal-pdo]Ripen warm in brine
Salt6–8 %Set[kal-pdo]Ripen warm in brine

What makes this one different

A soft brined cheese from one island, in the same family as feta, drained and soured in wicker moulds that print a pattern on it, and ripened only 2 months in tins of 6–8 % brine.

Type
Soft cheese ripened and stored in brine, shaped by wicker moulds
Ripening
3 weeks at 14–18 °C, then 6 °C to a total of 2 months

Related ferments

Safety

The cheese is ripened in brine and finished at 6 °C.

History and sources

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

The PDO summary describes it as a brine cheese made with traditional technology on the island for many decades. Commission Regulation (EC) No 1107/96 of 12 June 1996 registered it as a PDO, on the application of the Union of Agricultural Cooperatives of Lymnos.

Starter
The sources we found do not say how its fermentation begins.
  1. [kal-pdo] Union of Agricultural Cooperatives of Lymnos, application for registration of 'Kalathaki Lymnou' PDO (summary of Greek Ministerial Decision 313044/14.1.94), EU file EL/0435, summary sheet in English from the eAmbrosia registerspec
  2. [eu-1107-1996] Commission Regulation (EC) No 1107/96 of 12 June 1996 on the registration of geographical indications and designations of origin under the procedure laid down in Article 17 of Council Regulation (EEC) No 2081/92, Official Journal L 148, 21.6.1996, Annex (Kalathaki Limnou, PDO)spec
  3. [zoumpopoulou2020] Zoumpopoulou G., Papadimitriou K., Alexandraki V., Mavrogonatou E., Alexopoulou K., Anastasiou R., Georgalaki M., Kletsas D., Tsakalidou E., Giaouris E. 2020, The microbiota of Kalathaki and Melichloro Greek artisanal cheeses comprises functional lactic acid bacteria, LWT 130 (abstract)paper