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Fermentation Atlas

Ripened sour-milk cheeses

Quark ripened with a smear or moulds, like Harzer and Olomoucké tvarůžky.

31 entries listed here.

How these cheeses are made

The shared make of ripened acid-curd cheese family (harzer, olomoucké tvarůžky, gamalost). Each cheese below says what it does differently.

  1. Lactic souring of skim milk to quarkat least 24 h · 25–30 °C
  2. Drain and ripen quark (pre-ripening)20 °C
  3. Mill with salt and ripening salts (sodium bicarbonate / caraway)3–4 % salt
  4. Smear or mould ripening7–21 days · 15–20 °C

Compare them

CheeseRegionMilkRipeningRind
Bloderkäse and Sauerkäse AOPSwitzerland, twelve communes of St. GallenSkimmed cow milk, at most 24 h old, from within 30 kmBloderkäse fresh, sold within 21 days; Sauerkäse at least two months
Bryndza Podhalańska PDOPoland, PodhalePolish Mountain Sheep milk, with up to 40 % Polish Red cow milk14 days
CancoillotteFranche-Comté and neighbouring parts of eastern FranceSkimmed cow milk, made into mettonMetton ripened at least 12 hours at 20 °C or more, then melted
GamalostVik, Sogn, NorwaySkimmed cow milk2–3 weeks in the ripening store
Montafoner Sura KeesAustria, Vorarlberg, the Montafon valleyCow skim milk, a by-product of butter making28–42 days
Wielkopolski ser smażonyPoland, Wielkopolskie voivodeshipSkimmed cow milk soured into twarógCrumbled curd ripened 2–3 days at 16–27 °C before frying
Zincarlin (Zincarlin da la Vall da Mücc)Switzerland, TicinoRaw cow milk, sometimes with a little goat milkAbout 10 days warm, then at least 2 months at 11–13 °C (aged version)
Handkäse (mit Musik)Germany, HesseCow milk only, made into acid-set sour-milk quark without rennet; low-fatQuark ripened 7–14 days; loaves sweat 2–3 days, then ripen 1–3 more days
Liptauer (körözött)Austria, Hungary, Slovakia and CzechiaSheep-milk bryndza, or cow-milk Topfen or quark10–13 days
Bjelovarski kvarglCroatia, Bjelovar-Bilogora county
Boulette d'AvesnesFrance, Nord, the Avesnois and Thiérache around Avesnes-sur-Helpe, near the Belgian borderCow milk, as Maroilles curd; originally buttermilk curdFresh, or two to three months in a humid cellar
Brusselse kaasBrusselscow milk, skim~3 mo
Chhu / shedenSikkimY/Cweeks
DambalkhachoPshavi/Mtiuleticow milk, (buttermilk curd)≥1 mo
Gamle OleNorwaycow milk
Glundner Käse (Glundner Kas)Austria, Carinthia2–3 daysNone; pale yellow to greenish, spreadable to sliceable
Harzer KäseHarzcow milk, skim~1–2 wk
KochkäseHesse/Franconiacow milk, skimdays, then cooked
Mainzer KäseRhinelandcow milk, skim
Mohant PDOBohinjcow milk, raw≥45 d
Murtaler SteirerkäsAustria, Styria2–3 days
Olomoucké tvarůžky PGILoštice, Czechiacow milk, skim~1–2 wk
PrgicaCroatia, north
PultostNorway, Hedmark and OpplandSoured skimmed cow milk
Queso de Urbiés (cuajada de Urbiés)Spain, Asturias6–9 monthsNone; shapeless, creamy paste sold in pots
Queso Los BeyosSpain, Asturias and Castile-León borderat least 15 daysThin, rough; creamy yellow (cow), pale yellow (goat) to light brown (sheep)
Queso mantecoso de CajamarcaPeru, Cajamarca5–6 daysNone
Slovenská bryndza PGISlovakiasheep milk, ≥50%lump ripened, milled
Steirerkas PDOStyriacow milk, skim~10 d
Tiroler Graukäse PDOZillertalcow milk, skim≥2 wk
TurošCroatia, Međimurje

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.

Bjelovarski kvarglCroatia, Bjelovar-Bilogora county

Same family as Turoš and prgica: dense, dry, smoked paprika cones of fresh curd; grey-pink outside, slightly sour.

  1. Prepare the milk
  2. Cut and drain the curd
  3. Mould and salt
  4. Ripen
Boulette d'AvesnesFrance, Nord, the Avesnois and Thiérache around Avesnes-sur-Helpe, near the Belgian border

Boulette d'Avesnes is a cone of soft cow's milk cheese from the Avesnois, kneaded with tarragon, parsley and crushed pepper, shaped by hand and coated in red paprika. It began as a way to use buttermilk curd, and today it is made mainly from Maroilles curd or broken Maroilles. It is eaten fresh or washed with salt water or beer and ripened in a humid cellar for two to three months.

Milk
Cow milk, as Maroilles curd; originally buttermilk curd
Ripening
Fresh, or two to three months in a humid cellar
Weight
200–300 g
  1. Break up the curd
  2. Knead with herbs and spice
  3. Shape into cones
  4. Coat in paprika
  5. Wash and ripen in the cellar2–3 months
Brusselse kaasBrussels

salted, washed, very sharp acid curd

Milk
cow milk, skim
Ripening
~3 mo

Made like Ripened acid-curd cheese family (Harzer, Olomoucké tvarůžky, Gamalost).

Chhu / shedenSikkim

strong fermented cheese-like product (Tamang)

Milk
Y/C
Ripening
weeks

Made like Ripened acid-curd cheese family (Harzer, Olomoucké tvarůžky, Gamalost).

DambalkhachoPshavi/Mtiuleti

curd shaped into small balls, smoked, mould-ripened in clay pot; Slow Food Presidium

Milk
cow milk, (buttermilk curd)
Ripening
≥1 mo

Made like Ripened acid-curd cheese family (Harzer, Olomoucké tvarůžky, Gamalost).

Gamle OleNorway

pungent smear

Milk
cow milk

Made like Ripened acid-curd cheese family (Harzer, Olomoucké tvarůžky, Gamalost).

Glundner Käse (Glundner Kas)Austria, Carinthia

Also called gelundener Käse.

Carinthian cooked cheese: ripened quark fried with caraway into a melt, a cousin of German Kochkäse.

Rind
None; pale yellow to greenish, spreadable to sliceable
  1. Prepare the milk
  2. Mould and salt
  3. Ripen2–3 days
Harzer KäseHarz

yellow smear (Gelbschmiere) or mould

Milk
cow milk, skim
Ripening
~1–2 wk

Made like Ripened acid-curd cheese family (Harzer, Olomoucké tvarůžky, Gamalost).

KochkäseHesse/Franconia

ripened quark melted with butter, caraway

Milk
cow milk, skim
Ripening
days, then cooked

Made like Ripened acid-curd cheese family (Harzer, Olomoucké tvarůžky, Gamalost).

Mainzer KäseRhineland
Milk
cow milk, skim

Made like Ripened acid-curd cheese family (Harzer, Olomoucké tvarůžky, Gamalost).

Mohant PDOBohinj

very pungent soft cheese, ripened in vessels

Milk
cow milk, raw
Ripening
≥45 d

Made like Ripened acid-curd cheese family (Harzer, Olomoucké tvarůžky, Gamalost).

Murtaler SteirerkäsAustria, Styria

Sliceable cooked sour-milk cheese; distinct from the crumbly uncooked Ennstaler Steirerkas.

  1. Prepare the milk
  2. Set the curd
  3. Cut and drain the curd2–3 days
  4. Mould and salt
Olomoucké tvarůžky PGILoštice, Czechia

golden smear

Milk
cow milk, skim
Ripening
~1–2 wk

Made like Ripened acid-curd cheese family (Harzer, Olomoucké tvarůžky, Gamalost).

PrgicaCroatia, north

Small, pungent, dried and smoked spiced cottage-cheese cones; close relative of Turoš..

  1. Prepare the milk
  2. Cut and drain the curd
  3. Mould and salt
  4. Ripen
PultostNorway, Hedmark and Oppland

Also called pultost, pult, Norwegian sour-milk cheese.

Skimmed milk is left to sour, warmed to about 50 °C so the curd separates, and drained of its whey. The crumbled curd is kept warm under a cloth and stirred now and then while it ferments, then mixed with salt and caraway into a loose or spreadable, very lean cheese.

Milk
Soured skimmed cow milk
Fat
About 0.9 g per 100 g
Flavour
Caraway; sharp from yeast fermentation
  1. Sour the skim milk
  2. Warm until the curd separates50 °C
  3. Drain the whey
  4. Crumble and let it ferment warm
  5. Mix in salt and caraway

Safety: No authority source on making or keeping pultost safely was found. It is heavily salted and made from soured milk.

Queso de Urbiés (cuajada de Urbiés)Spain, Asturias

Also called quesu d'Urbiés, queso de vexiga (when ripened in a bladder), cuaya de Urbiés, Urbiés cheese.

Raw cow milk is left to sour and set on its own over four or five days, with no rennet or culture, and the cream is skimmed off as it rises. The curd drains in cloth sacks for about ten days, is salted and then ripens for six months or more in a pot or an animal bladder, stirred now and then to spread the surface mould. The result is a soft, creamy, rindless paste with a very strong, piquant taste.

Rind
None; shapeless, creamy paste sold in pots
Moisture
About 52 % moisture and 25 % protein (Turismo Asturias via Vivir Asturias)
  1. Leave the milk to sour and set4–5 days
  2. Drain in cloth sacks10 days
  3. Salt and ripen, stirring6–9 months
  4. Pot the paste
Queso Los BeyosSpain, Asturias and Castile-León border

Lactic-curd mountain cheese with a closed, crumbly, friable paste and no eyes; label must state the species of milk.

Rind
Thin, rough; creamy yellow (cow), pale yellow (goat) to light brown (sheep)
Size
250–500 g; cylinder 3–9 cm high, 7–11 cm diameter
  1. Prepare the milk
  2. Set the curd
  3. Cut and drain the curd
  4. Mould and salt
  5. Ripenat least 15 days
Queso mantecoso de CajamarcaPeru, Cajamarca

Two-stage cheese: a soured rennet curd (quesillo) is washed, milled and salted into a buttery, spreadable, slightly acid paste. Washing time and water ratio control the acidity.

Rind
None
  1. Prepare the milk
  2. Set the curd
  3. Ripen5–6 days
Slovenská bryndza PGISlovakia
Milk
sheep milk, ≥50%
Ripening
lump ripened, milled

Made like Bryndza (Slovak / Podhale).

Steirerkas PDOStyria

crumbly ripened sour-milk cheese

Milk
cow milk, skim
Ripening
~10 d

Made like Ripened acid-curd cheese family (Harzer, Olomoucké tvarůžky, Gamalost).

Tiroler Graukäse PDOZillertal

grey Penicillium; outside-in

Milk
cow milk, skim
Ripening
≥2 wk

Made like Ripened acid-curd cheese family (Harzer, Olomoucké tvarůžky, Gamalost).

TurošCroatia, Međimurje

Paprika-coloured (orange) dried cottage-cheese cones; relatives are prgica and kvargl from neighbouring regions.

  1. Prepare the milk
  2. Cut and drain the curd
  3. Mould and salt
  4. Ripen

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