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Cheese from Romania, Mureș county

Telemea de Ibănești PDOharfă (the hand tool for cutting the curd)

Milk of cows grazed in the Gurghiu Valley is pasteurised at 85 °C, cooled to 46–48 °C and set with calcium chloride, lactic acid and a microbial rennet in 30–50 minutes. The curd is cut with a hand harp, self-pressed in moulds, cut into blocks and salted in brine from the salt-water well at Orșova. Fresh telemea is brined for up to 24 hours; matured telemea sits about 20 days at 14–16 °C under brine while a lactic fermentation sours it.

Fully documentedCheese20 daysPDO (EU), EC No RO-PDO-0005-01182; Reg. (EU) 2016/365 (OJ L 68, 15.3.2016)Family: White brined cheese family (Feta PDO as template)

Recipe

Amounts from a sourceAmounts are per 100 litres of milk or per 1 400-litre vat, from the PDO specification.
Cow milk from the Gurghiu Valley, standardised to 2.8 % fat[tel-cs]
Calcium chloride10–20 g per 100 litres of milk[tel-cs]
Lactic acid500–600 ml of 80 % lactic acid, diluted in 50 litres of water, per 1 400-litre vat[tel-cs]
Microbial rennet (from Rhizomucor miehei)[tel-cs][tel-sd]
Natural brine from the salt-water well at Orșova (21–23 % salt as drawn)[tel-cs][tel-sd]
StarterAcid-set; lactic acid is added to the pasteurised milk before the rennet, and a lactic fermentation takes place during maturing in brine

Total time across the recorded steps: 20 days

Start
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85 °C

What changes: The milk is heated to 85 °C so whey proteins stay in the cheese

Step 1 of 6
Pasteurise the milk
Time
2–3 min
Set
Temperature
85 °C
Set
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

Milk of cows grazed in the Gurghiu Valley is pasteurised at 85 °C, cooled to 46–48 °C and set with calcium chloride, lactic acid and a microbial rennet in 30–50 minutes. The curd is cut with a hand harp, self-pressed in moulds, cut into blocks and salted in brine from the salt-water well at Orșova. Fresh telemea is brined for up to 24 hours; matured telemea sits about 20 days at 14–16 °C under brine while a lactic fermentation sours it. Made in 6 steps over 20 days. The longest step, mature under brine, takes at least 20 days (Asociația pentru promovarea produselor tradiț…) and runs at 14–16 °C (Asociația pentru promovarea produselor tradiț…). Salt is 12–22 % (Asociația pentru promovarea produselor tradiț…).

Key numbers
Main stepat least 20 daysSet[tel-cs][tel-sd]Mature under brine
Temperature14–16 °CSet[tel-cs]Mature under brine
Salt12–22 %Set[tel-cs]Cut into blocks and brine

What makes this one different

Salted and matured in natural brine from the Orșova salt-water well, which is richer in calcium and magnesium than salt dissolved in water; the specification credits this brine for the cheese's higher calcium and magnesium.

Composition
Moisture at most 62 %; fat in dry matter at least 38 % in the specification (the single document says less than 38 %); at least 400 mg calcium and 35 mg magnesium per 100 g
Shelf life
Up to 120 days for matured and 60 days for fresh telemea, kept at 2–8 °C

Related ferments

Safety

The milk is pasteurised at 85 °C. Blocks must stay fully under brine while maturing, and spoiled (ropy, slimy or off-smelling) brine is replaced. Keep at 2–8 °C.

History and sources

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

The specification cites written evidence from the 17th century onward and the long local use of salt springs to preserve dairy products, meat and vegetables.

Microbes
No study we found names its microbes.
  1. [tel-cs] Asociația pentru promovarea produselor tradiționale de pe Valea Gurghiului, Caiet de sarcini 'Telemea de Ibănești' (version 2/edition 1, March 2014), published by the Romanian Ministry of Agriculture (archived copy)spec
  2. [tel-sd] European Commission 2015, publication of an application, single document 'Telemea de Ibănești', EC No RO-PDO-0005-01182, OJ C 6, 10.1.2015spec
  3. [tel-register] European Commission, eAmbrosia register record for 'Telemea de Ibăneşti', PDO-RO-01182, EU protection date 20.11.2013, publications Official Journal C 6, 10.1.2015 and legal instrument Official Journal L 68, 15.03.2016 (CELEX 32016R0365), public API listinggov