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Cheese from Italy, Campania

Formaggio duro di latte di pecora, capra e vacca

Fresh raw milk of cows, ewes and goats, in spring about 70, 20 and 10 parts, is set with farm-made kid rennet at 37–38 °C for 1.5–2 hours. The curd is broken finer than rice, pressed into wicker baskets in 1–2 kg pieces, salted and dried 2–3 days on sloping boards. It ripens 2–6 months, up to 12, in airy rooms above 1000 m, washed with water and vinegar and oiled.

Fully documentedCheese2.1 months – 12 monthsTraditional food product (PAT, Regione Campania)Family: Uncooked or semi-cooked pressed cheese family (tomme, Saint-Nectaire, Reblochon, Morbier, Raclette)

Recipe

Amounts from a sourceThe shares are those of the regional sheet for spring milk and vary with the season. No batch size is given; cheeses are pressed in 1–2 kg portions.
Raw whole cow milk (mainly Brown or Italian Red Pied)About 70%Typical spring share; the sheets say the share seems to reflect the shrinking of goat farming in the area[pat-sheet][onaf-sheet]
Raw whole ewe milk (local breeds)About 20%[pat-sheet][onaf-sheet]
Raw whole goat milk (local breeds)About 10%[pat-sheet][onaf-sheet]
Kid rennet paste, made on the farm[pat-sheet][onaf-sheet]
Food salt, or brine[pat-sheet]
Water, vinegar and oilFor washing and oiling the rind during ripening[pat-sheet][onaf-sheet]

Total time across the recorded steps: 2.1 months – 12 months

Start
Drag the bar or press Play

What changes: Fresh cow, ewe and goat milk are poured together into the cauldron

Step 1 of 6
Mix the three milks
Time
Not documented
Temperature
Not documented
Salt
None given
Acidity
Not documented

Freshly drawn cow, ewe and goat milk is filtered and mixed; in spring about 70% cow, 20% ewe and 10% goat.

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

Fresh raw milk of cows, ewes and goats, in spring about 70, 20 and 10 parts, is set with farm-made kid rennet at 37–38 °C for 1.5–2 hours. The curd is broken finer than rice, pressed into wicker baskets in 1–2 kg pieces, salted and dried 2–3 days on sloping boards. It ripens 2–6 months, up to 12, in airy rooms above 1000 m, washed with water and vinegar and oiled. Made in 6 steps over 2.1 months – 12 months. The longest step, ripen in mountain rooms, takes 2–12 months (Regione Campania 2015).

Key numbers
Main step2–12 monthsReported[pat-sheet][onaf-sheet]Ripen in mountain rooms
Temperature37–38 °CReported[pat-sheet][onaf-sheet]Set with kid rennet

What makes this one different

Made from all three milks together, mostly cow, set slowly with farm kid rennet and ripened in netted cupboards above 1000 m on the Matese, with washes of water and vinegar.

Rind
Elastic, straw yellow turning light brown, glossy from washing and oiling
Size
Cylinder of 1–2 kg
Season
Made all year

Related ferments

Safety

Made from raw milk and ripened 2 to 6 months or more, up to 12. ANSES names Listeria, Salmonella and enterohaemorrhagic E. coli as the main raw-milk cheese hazards. It advises pregnant women, people over 65, people with weak immunity and young children not to eat raw-milk cheeses, except cooked pressed ones such as Comté.

History and sources

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

The ONAF sheet says the cheese reflects the traditions of a very small area on the Benevento slopes of the Matese. The regional sheet says local testimony confirms it has been made for at least 25 years. The Campania region listed it among its traditional food products (PAT).

Starter
The sources we found do not say how its fermentation begins.
Microbes
No study we found names its microbes.
  1. [pat-sheet] Regione Campania, Assessorato Agricoltura, Prodotti tradizionali, 'Formaggio duro di latte di pecora, capra e vacca' (page updated 13 March 2015; copy hosted by ONAF)gov
  2. [onaf-sheet] ONAF (Organizzazione Nazionale Assaggiatori Formaggi), technical sheet 'Formaggio duro di latte di pecora, capra e vacca'web
  3. [onaf] ONAF, cheese page 'Formaggio duro di latte di pecora, capra e vacca' (id 1181)web
  4. [anses2022] ANSES 2022, Fromages au lait cru, quels risques pour la santé et comment mieux les prévenir (8 April 2022)gov