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Fermentation Atlas

Cheese from Greece

Kasseri PDOΚασέρι

Sheep milk, or sheep milk mixed with goat milk, is set and the curd is broken, cooked to 38–40 °C and left to drain and sour until the pH falls to about 5.2. Slabs of the sour curd are dipped in water at 70–80 °C and kneaded until smooth, then moulded, salted on the surface 12–14 times and ripened at least three months. Made in 6 steps over 3.1 months. The longest step, ripen, takes at least 3 months (Greece) and runs at 18 °C (Greece). Streptococcus macedonicus, first described from naturally fermented Kasseri and Lactic acid bacteria of commercial starters do most of the fermenting.

Key numbers
Main stepat least 3 monthsSet[kasseri-pdo]Ripen
Temperature18 °CSet[kasseri-pdo]Ripen
AciditypH 5.2Set[kasseri-pdo]Drain and let the curd sour

Recipe

No fixed amounts recordedThe PDO summary fixes the steps, not the amounts.
Sheep milk, or sheep and goat milk · From local breeds fed on the flora of the area[kasseri-pdo]
Coagulant · The PDO summary says only that the milk is coagulated[kasseri-pdo]
Starter · Traditionally the milk's own flora; commercial cultures in industrial makes[tsakalidou1998][anastasiou2007]
Hot water · 70–80 °C, for scalding and kneading the curd[kasseri-pdo]
Dry salt · Rubbed on the surface 12–14 times[kasseri-pdo]
Starter: traditionally spontaneous (milk flora); commercial or selected cultures in some makes

Total time across the recorded steps: 3.1 months

Start
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shapes, not to countLactic acid bacteria

What changes: The sheep milk sets and the curd is broken up

Step 1 of 6
Set the milk and break the curd
Time
5–10 min
Set
Temperature
Not documented
Salt
None given
Acidity
Not documented
Which microbes the steps name, step by step
Lactic acid bacteria
S. macedonicus

Output: curd in whey.

Flavour
Not documented
Texture
broken curd
Colour
white

Microbes at work in this step

lactic bacteria of the milk or starter begin to sour it

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

Kasseri is a pasta filata cheese made from sheep milk, not cow milk. The curd is soured to about pH 5.2, scalded and kneaded in water at 70–80 °C, then salted dry on the surface many times and ripened for months, so it is firm rather than fresh like mozzarella.

Milk
Sheep milk, or sheep milk mixed with goat milk
Ripening
At least 3 months
Scalding
Soured curd slabs kneaded in water at 70–80 °C

Related ferments

History and sources

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

The 1994 PDO application says Kasseri had been made in Greece since at least the 19th century.

  1. [kasseri-pdo] Greece, Ministry of Agriculture, Application for registration of KASSERI CHEESE PDO (summary of Ministerial Decision 313027/11.1.94), EEC No G/GR/0440/940121, eAmbrosia attachment 72473spec
  2. [tsakalidou1998] Tsakalidou E., Zoidou E., Pot B., Wassill L., Ludwig W., Devriese L.A., Kalantzopoulos G., Schleifer K.H., Kersters K. 1998, Identification of streptococci from Greek Kasseri cheese and description of Streptococcus macedonicus sp. nov., International Journal of Systematic Bacteriology 48:519–527, doi:10.1099/00207713-48-2-519paper
  3. [anastasiou2007] Anastasiou R., Georgalaki M., Manolopoulou E., Kandarakis I., De Vuyst L., Tsakalidou E. 2007, The performance of Streptococcus macedonicus ACA-DC 198 as starter culture in Kasseri cheese production, International Dairy Journal 17:208–217, doi:10.1016/j.idairyj.2006.02.011paper