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Cheese from Italy, Liguria

Quagliata ligure (Prescinsêua)Prescinsêua

A tart, spoonable cow-milk curd from the Genoa hinterland, between yogurt and ricotta. Milk is left about two days to sour on its own, then part of it is warmed to 40–50 °C with a little calf rennet and mixed back in; after about 4 hours the soft curd is broken coarsely and spooned into tubs, unsalted. It keeps only a few days at 2–4 °C and goes into Ligurian pies and the focaccia of Recco.

Fully documentedCheese2.2 daysPAT (traditional agri-food product, Liguria)Family: Fresh lactic (acid-set) cheese family

Recipe

Amounts from a sourceThe recipe for 2 litres of milk on the regional sheet, which ONAF gives as the way to make it at home. The ONAF description gives pasteurised milk and lactic cultures that may be added.
Fresh whole cow milk2 litres[pat-sheet][onaf-sheet]
Calf rennet5 grams[pat-sheet][onaf-sheet]
Lactic cultures (optional)[onaf-sheet]
Starterspontaneous souring of the milk; lactic cultures may be added

Total time across the recorded steps: 2.2 days

Start
Drag the bar or press Play
shapes, not to countLactic acid bacteriaMilk sugarLactic acid

What changes: Left two days at room temperature, the milk sours and begins to set

Step 1 of 5
Leave the milk to sour
Time
2 days
Reported
Temperature
Not documented
Salt
None given
Acidity
Not documented
Which microbes the steps name, step by step
Lactic acid bacteria
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

A tart, spoonable cow-milk curd from the Genoa hinterland, between yogurt and ricotta. Milk is left about two days to sour on its own, then part of it is warmed to 40–50 °C with a little calf rennet and mixed back in; after about 4 hours the soft curd is broken coarsely and spooned into tubs, unsalted. It keeps only a few days at 2–4 °C and goes into Ligurian pies and the focaccia of Recco. Made in 5 steps over 2.2 days. The longest step, leave the milk to sour, takes 2 days (Regione Liguria (agriligurianet)). Lactic acid bacteria that sour the milk during the 48-hour rest does most of the fermenting.

Key numbers
Main step2 daysReported[pat-sheet][onaf-sheet]Leave the milk to sour
Temperature40–50 °CReported[pat-sheet][onaf-sheet]Warm part of the milk with rennet

What makes this one different

Set twice, first by two days of souring and then with a little rennet in warmed milk, and never salted. It is very perishable, so it is hard to find outside Liguria; crescenza or stracchino often stand in for it.

Form
No shape of its own; weight variable and not fixed; filled into glass or plastic tubs
Salt
Not salted

Related ferments

Safety

Very perishable; the ONAF sheet says to keep it only a few days at 2–4 °C. The ONAF description gives pasteurised milk. The home recipe on the ONAF sheet leaves 2 litres of fresh milk at room temperature for 48 hours and warms only a quarter of it (half a litre, to 40–50 °C), so it has no pasteurising step. CDC says foods made from raw milk can carry E. coli, Listeria and Salmonella, and advises choosing pasteurised milk. CDC's general advice is never to leave perishable food out for more than 2 hours; this recipe leaves the milk out for 48.

History and sources

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

The ONAF sheet cites a 1413 law of the Republic of Genoa listing prescinsêua and giuncata among the few gifts Genoese could give the Doge. Shepherds of the upper Aveto valley who wintered lower down supplied it to the restaurateurs of Recco and Camogli.

  1. [pat-sheet] Regione Liguria (agriligurianet), Prodotti tradizionali, sheet «Quagliata ligure – prescinseua» (copy hosted by ONAF)gov
  2. [onaf-sheet] ONAF (Organizzazione Nazionale Assaggiatori Formaggi), technical sheet «Quagliata ligure (Prescinseua)»web
  3. [onaf] ONAF, cheese page «Quagliata ligure (Prescinseua)» (id 973)web
  4. [cdc-raw-milk] US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Raw Milk (31 January 2025)gov