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Cheese from Italy, Sardegna

FresaFresa de attunzu

Whole cow milk, best in autumn from cows late in lactation, is set with calf rennet or kid rennet paste at about 33–38 °C in 30–50 minutes. The curd is cut to hazelnut size, crumbled into moulds, turned, wrapped in cotton cloth and lightly pressed, then salted for a few hours. The flat soft cheese ripens about 13–20 days and grows a thin deep-yellow rind.

Fully documentedCheese14 days – 22 daysTraditional food product (PAT, Sardegna)Family: Uncooked or semi-cooked pressed cheese family (tomme, Saint-Nectaire, Reblochon, Morbier, Raclette)

Recipe

Amounts from a sourceFarm dairies; the regional sheet gives no amounts. ONAF gives the starter as a share of the milk. A cheese weighs 1.5–3 kg.
Whole cow milk from Sardinian herdsBest in autumn, from cows late in lactation; raw, or pasteurised if its origin is not known; rarely sheep milk[pat-sheet][onaf-sheet]
Starter — freeze-dried thermophilic cultures, young whey starter (2.5%) or natural whole yoghurt (1.5%)2.5% or 1.5%[onaf-sheet]
Liquid calf rennet, or sometimes kid rennet paste[pat-sheet]
Fine salt, or brine[pat-sheet][onaf-sheet]
Starterfreeze-dried thermophilic cultures, young whey starter or natural yoghurt (ONAF)

Total time across the recorded steps: 14 days – 22 days

Start
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What changes: Starter goes into whole cow milk in the vat and begins to work

Step 1 of 7
Warm the milk and add starter
Time
35 min
Reported
Temperature
Not documented
Salt
None given
Acidity
Not documented

The milk is used raw, or pasteurised when its hygiene and origin are not known.

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

Whole cow milk, best in autumn from cows late in lactation, is set with calf rennet or kid rennet paste at about 33–38 °C in 30–50 minutes. The curd is cut to hazelnut size, crumbled into moulds, turned, wrapped in cotton cloth and lightly pressed, then salted for a few hours. The flat soft cheese ripens about 13–20 days and grows a thin deep-yellow rind. Made in 7 steps over 14 days – 22 days. The longest step, ripen briefly, takes 13–20 days (ONAF (Organizzazione Nazionale Assaggiatori F…) and runs at 12–14 °C (ONAF (Organizzazione Nazionale Assaggiatori F…).

Key numbers
Main step13–20 daysReported[onaf-sheet]Ripen briefly
Temperature12–14 °CReported[onaf-sheet]Ripen briefly

What makes this one different

ONAF calls it unique in Sardinia in its kind, a cheese of cow milk, classically made in autumn from the fat milk of cows late in lactation. Laore derives the name from Latin fresus, flattened.

Rind
Thin, deep yellow
Size
Flat cylinder (rarely square with rounded edges) about 5–6 cm high and 15–18 cm across, 1.5–3 kg
Season
Made all year; the autumn cheese (de attunzu) from late-lactation milk is the classic one

Related ferments

Safety

Milk of unknown origin is pasteurised; raw milk is used otherwise, and the cheese is eaten young. 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

Laore cites Prof. Fascetti, who described Fresa in the journal L'Industria Lattiera e Zootecnica in 1908, and links the name to Latin fresus; the cheese may date from Roman times.

Microbes
No study we found names its microbes.
  1. [pat-sheet] Laore Sardegna (regional agricultural development agency), Prodotto tradizionale della Sardegna, sheet 'Fresa' (copy hosted by ONAF)gov
  2. [onaf-sheet] ONAF (Organizzazione Nazionale Assaggiatori Formaggi), technical sheet 'Fresa'web
  3. [onaf] ONAF, cheese page 'Fresa' (id 370)web
  4. [anses2022] ANSES 2022, Fromages au lait cru, quels risques pour la santé et comment mieux les prévenir (8 April 2022)gov