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Cheese from Croatia, island of Krk

Krčki sir

Krčki sir is a hard, full-fat cheese made on family farms on the island of Krk from raw ewe milk that is not heat-treated. A 2003 study of farm cheeses measured about 37 % fat, 63 % total solids, 2 % salt and a pH near 5.8; a trade-magazine account gives milk set at 32 °C in 30 minutes, curd dried at 39 °C, a 12-hour brine and 2–4 months in a cellar.

Fully documentedCheese2 months – 4 monthsnone (in 2003 the study authors said changes were needed to prepare it for a PGI)Family: Hard pressed ewe cheese family (Manchego and Pecorino Romano as templates)

Recipe

No fixed amounts recordedNo batch size or rennet dose was found. The trade-magazine account gives temperatures and times only, and farm methods vary.
Raw ewe milkNot heat-treated; milk measured 7.81 % fat and 5.59 % protein on average[prpic2003]
Natural rennet powderAdded to milk warmed to 32 °C, following the maker's instructions[dolencic2015]
Commercial starter cultureA 2013 study compared cheeses made with and without it; they differed in free amino acids on days 90 and 120[radeljevic2013]
StarterA 2013 study compared Krk cheeses made with and without a commercial starter culture.

Total time across the recorded steps: 2 months – 4 months

Start
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32 °C

What changes: Warmed to 32 °C, the raw ewe milk sets in about half an hour with natural rennet powder

Step 1 of 5
Warm the milk and add rennet
Time
30 min
Reported
Temperature
32 °C
Reported
Salt
None given
Acidity
Not documented
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

Krčki sir is a hard, full-fat cheese made on family farms on the island of Krk from raw ewe milk that is not heat-treated. A 2003 study of farm cheeses measured about 37 % fat, 63 % total solids, 2 % salt and a pH near 5.8; a trade-magazine account gives milk set at 32 °C in 30 minutes, curd dried at 39 °C, a 12-hour brine and 2–4 months in a cellar. Made in 5 steps over 2 months – 4 months. The longest step, ripen in a cellar, takes 2–4 months (Dolenčić Špehar I. 2015) and runs at 10–18 °C (Dolenčić Špehar I. 2015).

Key numbers
Main step2–4 monthsReported[dolencic2015]Ripen in a cellar
Temperature10–18 °CReported[dolencic2015]Ripen in a cellar

What makes this one different

It is the hard, full-fat raw-ewe-milk cheese of the island of Krk, made on family farms. The 2003 authors found that composition and quality vary between family farms, and only 55 % of the samples were hygienically acceptable.

Milk
Raw ewe milk, not heat-treated; 7.81 % fat, 5.59 % protein, pH 6.66 on average
Acidity
Cheese pH 5.78; lactic acid 1.216 %
Salt
1.97 % salt in the cheese
Composition
Fat 37.38 %, protein 23.24 %, total solids 63.22 %, fat in dry matter 54.38 %

Related ferments

Safety

Made from raw ewe milk. In a 2003 study only 55 % of farm samples met the microbial standards then in force, and the authors called for changes to milk and cheese production. ANSES advises pregnant women, people over 65, people with weak immunity and young children to avoid raw-milk cheeses.

History and sources

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

A 2003 study noted that Krčki sir had last been investigated in the middle of the 20th century, so its technology had probably changed since. It examined the milk, the whey and the cheese and the production method on family farms on Krk. Its authors said changes were needed before the cheese could be prepared for a protected geographical indication.

Microbes
No study we found names its microbes.
  1. [prpic2003] Prpić Z., Kalit S., Lukač Havranek J., Štimac M. and Jerković S. 2003, Krčki cheese, Mljekarstvo 53(3):175-194 (abstract, via DOAJ)paper
  2. [antunac2008] Antunac N., Mikulec N., Bendelja D., Prpić Z. and Barać Z. 2008, Characterisation and research of the milk quality in Krk cheese manufacturing, Mljekarstvo 58(3):203-222 (abstract, via DOAJ)paper
  3. [radeljevic2013] Radeljević B. et al. 2013, Influence of starter culture on total free aminoacids concentration during ripening of Krk cheese, Mljekarstvo 63(1):15-21 (abstract, via DOAJ)paper
  4. [dolencic2015] Dolenčić Špehar I. 2015, Autohtoni (tradicijski) sirevi Hrvatske (2), Gospodarski list (28 April 2015)web
  5. [hapih2020] HAPIH, Katalog sireva 2020 (21st show of Croatian sheep and goat cheeses)web
  6. [anses2022] ANSES 2022, Fromages au lait cru, quels risques pour la santé et comment mieux les prévenir (8 April 2022)gov