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Fermentation Atlas

Stretched-curd cheeses

Acidified curd stretched in hot water or whey, as for mozzarella and provolone.

131 entries listed here, page 2 of 2.

Compare them

CheeseRegionMilkRipeningRind
Scamorza abruzzeseItaly, Abruzzo1 hFresco: none, porcelain-white, weeps buttermilk; appassito: thin smooth straw-yellow to ochre skin
Scamorza di bufalaItaly, Campania10–15 daysThin skin, waxy after maturing, pearly white (pale ochre if smoked)
Scamorza di MontellaItaly, Campania2–4 hFresh: very thin white skin; aged: thin pale-to-deep straw rind
Scamorza di pecoraItaly, Puglia16–24 hLactic: none, white; proteolytic: very thin pale straw skin
Scamorza molisanaItaly, Molise2–3 daysThin smooth straw-yellow skin; brown if smoked
Scamorza vaccina (semplice e ripiena)Italy, Lazio10 daysThin, smooth skin, ivory to straw, sometimes waxy
Scamorzini del MateseItaly, Campania2–4 hFresh: thin white skin; aged: smooth glossy straw rind
Sfoglia di mozzarellaItaly, Campania30 min – 2 hNone; snow white, glossy
Stracciata del MateseItaly, Campania2–4 hVery thin white skin, glossy
Strazzatella silanaItaly, Calabria3 daysNone; smooth shiny cream-white
Treccia di Massa di MarateaItaly, Basilicata40 min – 1 hVery thin shiny white skin
Treccia di MontellaItaly, Campania3–4 hVery thin glossy skin, milk-white to ivory
Treccia di Santa Croce di MaglianoItaly, Molise30–35 minVery thin skin; milk-white, turning yellow after a few days
Treccia duraItaly, Basilicata30–40 minNone; smooth white
Vastedda palermitanaItaly, Sicilia4 hNone; white-ivory
Bebè di SorrentoItaly, CampaniaThin, soft, smooth, white to pale straw
Burrini e burrata di bufalaItaly, CampaniaSkin; smooth, glossy to matt, white to straw as it ages
Caciocavallo del FormicosoItaly, CampaniaClean
Civil peyniri / küflü civilErzurum/Karscow milk, skimfresh or mould-ripened in jars/skins months
Dil peyniriTurkeycow milkfresh
Farci-provolaItaly, Calabria3–4 daysVery thin smooth skin, ivory to pale straw
Formaella Arachovas Parnassou PDOArachovasheep/goat milk
Gibna mudafara (braided)Sudancow milk
Gołka (ser gazdowski)Poland, Podhale and the Silesian BeskidsCow milk only
Kars kaşarıKarscow milk
Majdouleh / Mshallaleh / Syrian string cheeseSyria/Lebanoncow milkfresh/brined
Manteca del CilentoItaly, Campania12 hThin skin, white to straw
Mugnaia di bufalaItaly, LazioNone or a soft, clean skin
Pirotski kačkavaljPirotsheep/cow milk≥2 mo
Provolone del Monaco PDOMonti Lattaricow milk, (Agerolese)≥6 mo
Provolone invecchiato di bufala di FormelloItaly, Lazio12 months – 5 yearsThin, slightly elastic to rigid, ochre-yellow
Provolone Valpadana PDOPo valleycow milkdolce ≤3 mo; piccante >3 mo
Queijo CabacinhaBrazil, Minas Gerais
Quesillo (Honduras, Nicaragua)Central Americacow milkfresh
Queso crinejaVenezuela
Queso de capas (Mompox)Colombiacow milkfresh
Queso de hoja (Puerto Rico)Puerto RicoFresh cow milkNone described; a fresh cheese
Queso doble cremaColombia
Queso PalmitoCosta Rica, Alajuela
Queso peraColombia, BoyacáFresh cow milk
Queso telitaVenezuelacow milkfresh
Ragusano PDOSicilycow milk, (Modicana) raw≥3 mo
RiavulilloItaly, Campania2 hThin skin, ochre from smoking
ScamosciataItaly, CampaniaVery thin skin, porcelain white
Slovenská parenica PGISlovakiasheep/cow milk
Slovenské pařené korbáčiky PGIOravasheep/cow milkfresh/smoked
Slovenský oštiepok PGISlovakiasheep/cow milk≥6 d
Svanuri sulguniSvaneticow milk
TeniliMeskheti, Georgiasheep milkmonths in clay pots
Türkmen saçak peyniri (saçaklı peynir)Turkey, Kars and Ardahan
Vastedda della Valle del Belìce PDOSicilysheep milk, rawfresh

Bold names have a full page with the animated steps. Blank cells: no sourced value yet.

Short entries

What the sources record about each of these so far.

Bebè di SorrentoItaly, Campania

A young, mild caciocavallo made for summer tourists; named for its baby-in-swaddling shape. Made all year.

Rind
Thin, soft, smooth, white to pale straw
Size
About 0.5 kg; 5–6 cm diameter, 10–12 cm tall
  1. Prepare the milk
  2. Set the curd
  3. Cook the curd
  4. Mould and salt
  5. Ripen
Burrini e burrata di bufalaItaly, Campania

Butter-filled pasta filata born as a way to keep butter fresh; the butter comes from whey cream, not milk cream.

Rind
Skin; smooth, glossy to matt, white to straw as it ages
Size
0.3–0.5 kg
  1. Prepare the milk
  2. Set the curd
  3. Cut and drain the curd90 °C
  4. Mould and salt
  5. Ripen
Caciocavallo del FormicosoItaly, Campania

Plateau caciocavallo of standard 2.5 kg weight from small local herds. ONAF text calls it cooked curd while facets say raw curd.

Rind
Clean
Size
2.5 kg (standardised)
  1. Prepare the milk
  2. Set the curd
  3. Mould and salt
  4. Ripen
Civil peyniri / küflü civilErzurum/Kars

string cheese; mouldy version is blue-ish

Milk
cow milk, skim
Ripening
fresh or mould-ripened in jars/skins months

Made like Pasta filata (stretched-curd) cheese family.

Dil peyniriTurkey

stretched 'tongue' sheets

Milk
cow milk
Ripening
fresh

Made like Pasta filata (stretched-curd) cheese family.

Farci-provolaItaly, Calabria

Provola wrapped around Calabrian cured meat, said to have begun as a way to get salumi past US customs to emigrants.

Rind
Very thin smooth skin, ivory to pale straw
Size
2.0–4.0 kg; long irregular cylinder
Boundary
Holds a cured-meat filling
  1. Prepare the milk
  2. Set the curd
  3. Cut and drain the curd3–4 days
  4. Mould and salt
Formaella Arachovas Parnassou PDOArachova

grilling cheese

Milk
sheep/goat milk

Made like Pasta filata (stretched-curd) cheese family.

Gibna mudafara (braided)Sudan

braided stretched cheese with black cumin

Milk
cow milk

Made like Pasta filata (stretched-curd) cheese family.

Gołka (ser gazdowski)Poland, Podhale and the Silesian Beskids

Also called gołka, gołki, ser gazdowski, pucok, kara, golka.

Cow milk is warmed to 36–37 °C and set with rennet, and the curd is kneaded, scalded in hot water and pressed into a decorated cylinder, then smoked in a farmhouse smokehouse. It is the cow-milk cousin of the sheep-milk oscypek, made when the ewes were not being milked.

Milk
Cow milk only
Size
6–15 cm long, 0.3–0.6 kg
Composition
Mean 43.9% water and 3.11% salt in 20 market samples
  1. Warm the milk36–37 °C
  2. Add rennet
  3. Knead and scald the curd
  4. Press into a decorated cylinder
  5. Smoke at home2.3–4.2 % salt

Safety: In 20 market samples the histamine content stayed under 50 mg/kg, but some had high levels of other biogenic amines and many had Enterobacteriaceae, showing hygiene lapses. Buy from makers who keep the milk and curd clean.

Kars kaşarıKars
Milk
cow milk

Made like Pasta filata (stretched-curd) cheese family.

Majdouleh / Mshallaleh / Syrian string cheeseSyria/Lebanon

braided; nigella

Milk
cow milk
Ripening
fresh/brined

Made like Pasta filata (stretched-curd) cheese family.

Manteca del CilentoItaly, Campania

Pasta filata around butter made from whey: whey heated to 75–80 °C yields 'prima ricotta' flakes, drained a day, then hand-worked with 10–15 °C water to free the fat. Listed as at risk.

Rind
Thin skin, white to straw
Size
0.4–0.5 kg; 10–12 cm diameter; round or elongated with head
  1. Prepare the milk
  2. Set the curd
  3. Cut and drain the curd
  4. Mould and salt12 h
  5. Ripen
Mugnaia di bufalaItaly, Lazio

Buffalo pasta filata braid that softens over a few days into a creamy, spreadable, stracchino-like paste.

Rind
None or a soft, clean skin
Size
Variable, not defined; large braid
  1. Prepare the milk
  2. Set the curd
  3. Mould and salt
  4. Ripen
Pirotski kačkavaljPirot
Milk
sheep/cow milk
Ripening
≥2 mo

Made like Pasta filata (stretched-curd) cheese family.

Provolone del Monaco PDOMonti Lattari

melon shape, raffia

Milk
cow milk, (Agerolese)
Ripening
≥6 mo

Made like Pasta filata (stretched-curd) cheese family.

Provolone invecchiato di bufala di FormelloItaly, Lazio

Very large buffalo provolone aged hanging for one to five years.

Rind
Thin, slightly elastic to rigid, ochre-yellow
Size
Up to about 20 kg; segmented pumpkin shape
  1. Prepare the milk
  2. Set the curd
  3. Mould and salt
  4. Ripen12 months – 5 years
Provolone Valpadana PDOPo valley

kid/lamb paste for piccante

Milk
cow milk
Ripening
dolce ≤3 mo; piccante >3 mo

Made like Pasta filata (stretched-curd) cheese family.

Queijo CabacinhaBrazil, Minas Gerais

Gourd-shaped raw-milk pasta filata, mozzarella-like when fresh; hung by the neck to ripen, a habit from the days without refrigeration. Variants with garlic or filled with goiabada.

  1. Prepare the milk
  2. Set the curd
  3. Cook the curd
  4. Mould and salt
  5. Ripen
Quesillo (Honduras, Nicaragua)Central America
Milk
cow milk
Ripening
fresh

Made like Pasta filata (stretched-curd) cheese family.

Queso crinejaVenezuela

Also called clineja, queso de trenza.

Venezuelan braided pasta filata, precooked like queso de mano and guayanés.

Size
Braid
  1. Prepare the milk
  2. Cook the curd
  3. Mould and salt
Queso de capas (Mompox)Colombia

stretched layers with guava paste

Milk
cow milk
Ripening
fresh

Made like Pasta filata (stretched-curd) cheese family.

Queso de hoja (Puerto Rico)Puerto Rico

Also called queso de hoja, leaf cheese.

Fresh cow milk is set and the curd is cut into thick blocks that drain for several hours. The blocks are scalded in water or whey at 150 °F (65.5 °C), flattened with a wooden paddle, salted, folded in layers and squeezed in a cloth. Cut open, the thin layers look like leaves stacked on one another, which gives the cheese its name.

Milk
Fresh cow milk
Ripening
None described; a fresh cheese
Size
About 6 inches (15 cm) across and 1–2 inches thick, with slightly rounded faces
  1. Set the milk and cut the curd into blocks
  2. Drain part of the wheySeveral hours
  3. Scald the blocks65.5 °C
  4. Flatten, salt and fold in layers
  5. Wrap in cloth and squeeze
Queso doble cremaColombia

Soft, melting Colombian fresh cheese: a high-fat, high-moisture pasta filata whose acid whey is reused for other cheeses (quesillo).

  1. Prepare the milk
  2. Set the curd
  3. Cook the curd
  4. Mould and salt
Queso PalmitoCosta Rica, Alajuela

Also called queso arrollado.

Costa Rican rolled pasta filata; technology credited to Italian immigrants. Consumers prefer traditional samples with visible stringy layers and creamy taste.

Size
Rolled cylinder (looks like a palm heart)
  1. Prepare the milk
  2. Cook the curd
  3. Mould and salt
Queso peraColombia, Boyacá

Also called queso de mano (Boyacá), queso charaleño, queso campesino tipo mozzarella.

Queso pera is a fresh Colombian pasta filata cheese shaped like a pear. Cow milk is set with rennet and the curd is left a few hours to sour until its pH falls from 6.6 to about 5.2, then stretched in water or brine above 70 °C, shaped and briefly brined.

Milk
Fresh cow milk
Composition
46 % fat in dry matter; 63 % moisture on a fat-free basis
  1. Set the milk with rennet
  2. Sour the curd
  3. Stretch in hot water or brineat least 70 °C
  4. Shape into pears and salt
Queso telitaVenezuela
Milk
cow milk
Ripening
fresh

Made like Pasta filata (stretched-curd) cheese family.

Ragusano PDOSicily

large brick; tina wooden vat with biofilm

Milk
cow milk, (Modicana) raw
Ripening
≥3 mo

Made like Pasta filata (stretched-curd) cheese family.

RiavulilloItaly, Campania

Miniature caciocavallo ('little devil') with an olive-and-chilli heart.

Rind
Thin skin, ochre from smoking
Size
50–100 g
  1. Prepare the milk
  2. Set the curd
  3. Cut and drain the curd2 h
  4. Mould and salt
  5. Ripen
ScamosciataItaly, Campania

Little-known soft pasta filata shaped like a long loaf ('pagnotta'); mostly eaten locally.

Rind
Very thin skin, porcelain white
Size
Variable; elongated loaf
  1. Prepare the milk
  2. Set the curd
  3. Cut and drain the curd
  4. Mould and salt
Slovenská parenica PGISlovakia

steamed curd ribbons wound into snail, smoked

Milk
sheep/cow milk

Made like Pasta filata (stretched-curd) cheese family.

Slovenské pařené korbáčiky PGIOrava

braided strings

Milk
sheep/cow milk
Ripening
fresh/smoked

Made like Pasta filata (stretched-curd) cheese family.

Slovenský oštiepok PGISlovakia

scalded, egg-shaped decorated moulds, smoked

Milk
sheep/cow milk
Ripening
≥6 d

Made like Pasta filata (stretched-curd) cheese family.

Svanuri sulguniSvaneti

smoked

Milk
cow milk

Made like Pasta filata (stretched-curd) cheese family.

TeniliMeskheti, Georgia

curd pulled into fine threads, layered with butter in clay pots; Slow Food Presidium

Milk
sheep milk
Ripening
months in clay pots

Made like Pasta filata (stretched-curd) cheese family.

Türkmen saçak peyniri (saçaklı peynir)Turkey, Kars and Ardahan

Also called tel, iplik, kadayıf peyniri, saç peyniri (Oltu).

Thread cheese of the Turkmen villages of the Kars plateau, sold loose like kadayıf; 30 market samples were unstandardised, low in fat and high in salt-in-DM.

  1. Prepare the milk
  2. Mould and salt
  3. Ripen
Vastedda della Valle del Belìce PDOSicily

only stretched sheep cheese PDO

Milk
sheep milk, raw
Ripening
fresh

Made like Pasta filata (stretched-curd) cheese family.

Numbers come from cited sources and carry a label that says how each is known. How this atlas is made