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Cheese from Estonia, south-east

Sõir PGIsõir

Cow milk is heated to 70–85 °C, quark is stirred in and heated until the curd separates, and the drained curd is cooked with butter, then with eggs beaten with salt and caraway, into a smooth yellow mass that sets in moulds. This is a boundary entry; the quark is a fresh lactic curd, but sõir itself is an unripened cheese set by heat.

Fully documentedCheese24 hPGI (EU), application OJ C 46, 9.2.2021; entered in the register under OJ L 192, 1.6.2021 (eAmbrosia record PGI-EE-02487)Family: Acid-heat set cheese family (FERMENTATION BOUNDARY)

Recipe

No fixed amounts recordedThe specification lists ingredients but gives no amounts; cheeses range from 100 g to several kg.
Cow milk, 1–2 days old, from the area[soir-oj2021][soir-spec]
Quark (kohupiim), made in the area[soir-oj2021][soir-spec]
Butter, or clarified butter[soir-oj2021]
Hen's eggs[soir-oj2021]
Salt[soir-oj2021]
Caraway seeds[soir-oj2021]
Starternone; the curd is set by heating quark in milk, with no rennet

Total time across the recorded steps: 24 h

Start
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70–85 °C

What changes: Fresh cow milk is heated in the pot

Step 1 of 5
Heat the milk
Time
Not documented
Temperature
70–85 °C
Set
Salt
None given
Acidity
Not documented
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

Cow milk is heated to 70–85 °C, quark is stirred in and heated until the curd separates, and the drained curd is cooked with butter, then with eggs beaten with salt and caraway, into a smooth yellow mass that sets in moulds. This is a boundary entry; the quark is a fresh lactic curd, but sõir itself is an unripened cheese set by heat. Made in 5 steps over 24 h. The longest step, set in moulds or press in cloth, takes 24 h (Maaeluministeerium (Estonian Ministry of Rura…). Lactic acid bacteria, to which the specification credits the slightly sour taste does most of the fermenting.

Key numbers
Main step24 hReported[soir-spec]Set in moulds or press in cloth
Temperature70–85 °CSet[soir-spec]Heat the milk

What makes this one different

Made from quark cooked again in milk, then with butter and eggs, which gives a yellow, elastic cheese set by heat rather than a ripened rennet cheese.

Composition
Fat 5–30 %; dry matter at least 30 % (baked sõir up to 60 %); salt 1.0–2 %
Not used
No rennet, additives or flavourings

Related ferments

Safety

The milk is heated to 70–85 °C and the curd is cooked again with the eggs. The specification requires packing at the place of making to protect the soft cheese.

History and sources

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

The oldest printed mention is in the 'Eesti rahva kalender' for 1853. Archive accounts from the late 19th and early 20th centuries describe sõir made for Pentecost, Midsummer and weddings, and sõir making was added to Estonia's inventory of intangible cultural heritage in 2010. The specification says it is known there since at least the 19th century, was made at a Võru dairy combine for a few years in 1965–1968, and went on sale again from small dairies in the late 1990s, the Nopri farm dairy starting in 1998.

  1. [soir-oj2021] European Commission 2021, Publication of an application for registration, single document 'Sõir' PGI, OJ C 46, 9.2.2021 (Publications Office cellar copy)spec
  2. [soir-spec] Maaeluministeerium (Estonian Ministry of Rural Affairs), Kaitstud geograafiline tähis 'Sõir' tootespetsifikaat (product specification, with archive accounts from the Estonian National Museum)spec
  3. [eambrosia-soir] European Commission, eAmbrosia register, record PGI-EE-02487 'Sõir' (status registered; legal instrument Official Journal L 192, 1.6.2021)spec