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Fermentation Atlas

Fermented milk from Finland

Viiliviili

ropy, gelled cultured milk with a velvety Geotrichum surface. Made in 3 steps over 20 h – 24 h. The longest step, ferment undisturbed, takes 20–24 h (Rampanti et al. 2024) and runs at 20–25 °C (Rampanti et al. 2024). Lactococcus lactis subsp. cremoris and Lc. lactis subsp. lactis do most of the fermenting.

Key numbers
Main step20–24 hMeasured[viili24][wp]Ferment undisturbed
Temperature20–25 °CReported[viili24][wp]Ferment undisturbed
AciditypH 4.3Reported[viili24][wp]Chill
DocumentedFermented milk20 h – 24 hMore fermented milkMore from FinlandMore from Sweden

Recipe

No fixed amounts recordedWhat goes in. No source gives amounts for this ferment.
unhomogenised cow milk so a cream layer rises (typical)
Starter: backslop (dry natural starter or a spoon of viili) | defined-culture

Total time across the recorded steps: 20 h – 24 h

Start
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pH 6.4–6.5shapes, not to countGeotrichum spores

What changes: Starter is spread in a bowl and milk is poured in

Step 1 of 3
Spread starter in bowl, add milk
Time
minutes
Unconfirmed
Temperature
room temperature
Unconfirmed
Salt
None given
Acidity
pH 6.4–6.5
Reported
Which microbes the steps name, step by step
Geotrichum spores
Lc. cremoris
Geotrichum
Lactococcus lactis
Lc. lactis

Output: inoculated bowls.

Flavour
none yet
Texture
liquid
Colour
Not documented

Microbes at work in this step

lactococci plus Geotrichum spores

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

Variants

  • KermaviiliMade from cream; used like sour cream and in cold fish sauces.
  • Filbunke (Sweden)Swedish equivalent, set unstirred in bowls.

Safety

Low risk. Some artisanal isolates carry the histidine decarboxylase gene (hdcA) Rampanti et al. 2024.

History and sources

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

A traditional Nordic ropy milk. Industrial production uses lab cultures that can drift from the traditional ones.

  1. [viili24] Rampanti et al. 2024, Technological and enzymatic characterization of autochthonous LAB isolated from viili natural starters, Foods 13:1115, Rampanti et al. 2024paper
  2. [wp] Wikipedia, Viiliwiki