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Cheese from Italy, Emilia-Romagna

Ricotta vaccina fresca dell'Emilia-RomagnaPuina

This cow ricotta is a boundary entry, set by heat and acid, not by microbes. Whey left from Parmigiano Reggiano, at least 90% of the mix, is heated to at least 80 °C in a steam-heated copper bell vat and soured with an acid, so the whey proteins set and rise. The curd is lifted into plastic baskets, drained, packed and kept at 0–4 °C for less than a week.

Fully documentedCheese7 daysPAT (traditional agri-food product, Emilia-Romagna)Family: Whey cheese (heat-precipitated whey protein) family

Recipe

Amounts from a sourceThe sheet gives the mix rule, not a batch recipe. A ricotta weighs 0.5–1 kg in the regional sheet (ONAF gives 0.5–2.5 kg).
Whey from Parmigiano Reggiano makingat least 90% of the mix[er-sheet][onaf-sheet]
Whole or skimmed milk, cream skimmed from milk, or whey cream (optional)[er-sheet][onaf-sheet]
Acidifier: acetic, citric, lactic or tartaric acid, sour whey (agra), wine vinegar or lemon juice[er-sheet][onaf-sheet]
Salt (optional)[er-sheet][onaf-sheet]
Starternone; heat and added acid make the curd

Total time across the recorded steps: 7 days

Start
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What changes: Whey from Parmigiano Reggiano goes into the copper vat, with a little milk or cream

Step 1 of 5
Mix the whey
Time
Not documented
Temperature
Not documented
Salt
None given
Acidity
Not documented

The ricotta is made in the same rooms as the grana, but its production is deferred in time relative to the cheese.

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

This cow ricotta is a boundary entry, set by heat and acid, not by microbes. Whey left from Parmigiano Reggiano, at least 90% of the mix, is heated to at least 80 °C in a steam-heated copper bell vat and soured with an acid, so the whey proteins set and rise. The curd is lifted into plastic baskets, drained, packed and kept at 0–4 °C for less than a week. Made in 5 steps over 7 days. The longest step, keep cold, takes up to 7 days (Regione Emilia-Romagna) and runs at 0–4 °C (Regione Emilia-Romagna). Salt is up to 1 % (Regione Emilia-Romagna).

Key numbers
Main stepup to 7 daysReported[er-sheet][onaf-sheet]Keep cold
Temperature0–4 °CReported[er-sheet][onaf-sheet]Keep cold
Saltup to 1 %Reported[er-sheet]Adjust, salt and pack
AciditypH 6.5Reported[er-sheet]Keep cold

What makes this one different

Made from the whey of Parmigiano Reggiano, in the same dairy and copper bell vats, and set with an added acid or sour whey at 80 °C or more rather than by whey acidity alone.

Composition
Mean values: dry matter 22–32%, fat 8–18% of dry matter, protein 7–10%, water activity 0.95
Size
Truncated cone 10–17 cm across and 6–12 cm high, 0.5–1 kg (ONAF gives 0.5–2.5 kg)
Rind
None
Season
Made all year

Related ferments

Safety

The whey is heated to at least 80 °C, and the ricotta may also be pasteurised at any stage, even after packing. The regional sheet gives mean values of pH 6.5 and water activity 0.95, a shelf life of under a week and storage at 0 to +4 °C (Italian rule D.P.R. 327/80, annex C, part II). It states that the ricotta is free of pathogenic microorganisms and meets D.P.R. 54/97.

History and sources

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

The ONAF sheet cites a Mantuan dictionary (Arrivabene, 1969) that glosses 'poina' as cream drawn from the whey by fire, and a Reggio dictionary (Ferrari and Serra, 1989) that glosses 'puina' and 'puvina' as a very soft ricotta. The ONAF sheet derives Puina and Puvina from the Latin 'popina', kitchen or tavern food. Pantaleone da Confienza's Summa Lacticiniorum of 1477 mentions 'seracia', made by boiling soured whey with some whole milk added. The regional sheet states that no production rule existed when it was written; the ricotta is made by customs settled over centuries in the Parmigiano Reggiano areas.

Microbes
No study we found names its microbes.
  1. [er-sheet] Regione Emilia-Romagna, Prodotti tradizionali, sheet 'Ricotta vaccina fresca tradizionale dell'Emilia' (copy hosted by ONAF)gov
  2. [onaf-sheet] ONAF (Organizzazione Nazionale Assaggiatori Formaggi), technical sheet 'Ricotta vaccina fresca dell'Emilia-Romagna'web
  3. [onaf] ONAF, cheese page 'Ricotta vaccina fresca dell'Emilia-Romagna' (id 439)web