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Cheese from Greece, central and southern Pindus

TsalafoutiΤσαλαφούτι

Tsalafouti is a soft, creamy, acid-set sheep milk cheese from the southern Pindus. Pasteurised sheep milk, with under a fifth goat milk, is given a little rennet and lactic culture if needed, cooled to 12–18 °C and left sealed for at most 12 days to sour, stirred often, until it reaches pH 3.8–4.6. It is then salted and drained in a cloth bag and kept at 2–4 °C.

Fully documentedCheese12 daysPDO (EU; Regulation (EU) 2024/2972, protected from 10 April 2023)Family: Fresh lactic (acid-set) cheese family

Recipe

No fixed amounts recordedThe specification sets limits, not a recipe, and gives no doses. It is packed in containers from 50 g to 10 kg.
Whole sheep milk, or sheep and goat milk with less than 20% goat milkFrom local free-grazing breeds, milked from at least 10 days after birth; pasteurised[pdo-spec]
Rennet, powder or liquid (only if needed)[pdo-spec]
Commercial lactic acid culture (only if needed; may be left out in summer)[pdo-spec]
Salt (NaCl)[pdo-spec]
Starternatural souring by the milk's own flora; rennet and a commercial lactic culture may be added

Total time across the recorded steps: 12 days

Start
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What changes: The sheep milk is pasteurised before the cheese is made

Step 1 of 5
Pasteurise the milk
Time
Not documented
Temperature
Not documented
Salt
None given
Acidity
Not documented
Which microbes the steps name, step by step
Lactococcus lactis

Pasteurisation is the main change from the old farm method, where the milk was strained through a double cloth straight after milking, so it would not sour, and boiled while stirred, so it would not curdle.

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

Tsalafouti is a soft, creamy, acid-set sheep milk cheese from the southern Pindus. Pasteurised sheep milk, with under a fifth goat milk, is given a little rennet and lactic culture if needed, cooled to 12–18 °C and left sealed for at most 12 days to sour, stirred often, until it reaches pH 3.8–4.6. It is then salted and drained in a cloth bag and kept at 2–4 °C. Made in 5 steps over 12 days. The longest step, sour in a sealed container, stirred often, takes up to 12 days (Pavlopoulos D. and Haroutounian S. (Agricultu…) and runs at 12–18 °C (Pavlopoulos D. and Haroutounian S. (Agricultu…). Salt is 1.3–2 % (Pavlopoulos D. and Haroutounian S. (Agricultu…). The natural flora of the milk working with that of its surroundings, or an added commercial lactic culture and Lactococcus lactis, a commercial multi-strain starter in a semi-industrial trial; it grew above 9 log CFU/g and soured the milk within the first 10 days at 10 °C do most of the fermenting.

Key numbers
Main stepup to 12 daysSet[pdo-spec]Sour in a sealed container, stirred often
Temperature12–18 °CSet[pdo-spec]Sour in a sealed container, stirred often
Salt1.3–2 %Set[pdo-spec]Salt and drain in a cloth bag
AciditypH 3.8–4.6Set[pdo-spec]Sour in a sealed container, stirred often

What makes this one different

Set by acid, not rennet, and soured for no more than 12 days in a closed tub with frequent stirring, which gives a creamy spread rather than a curd that can be cut. It is low in fat for a sheep cheese.

Rind
None; a creamy white spread
Composition
Moisture 66–73%, fat 10–17% of total weight, protein at least 7%, salt 1.3–2.0%, pH 3.8–4.6
Semi-industrial trial
At 30 days, pH 4.28, moisture 81.5%, fat 6%, salt 0.33% (a trial product with a Lactococcus lactis starter, not the PDO limits)

Related ferments

Safety

The milk is pasteurised and the specification requires pH 3.8–4.6. The analyses it cites found staphylococci and coliforms below 2.5 and 1 log cfu/g. The cheese is kept at 2–4 °C and lasts about 60 days.

Hazards the sources name: Staphylococci, including Staphylococcus aureus, and coliforms; the analyses cited in the specification found them below 2.5 and 1 log cfu/g, kept down by the high acidity.

History and sources

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

The specification traces the cheese to the 17th century and cites written evidence from the early 20th century. It was made at the end of lactation, from late July to mid-September, in cedar-wood pails in mountain huts, and the cheese's name has served as a local nickname for more than 120 years.

  1. [pdo-spec] Pavlopoulos D. and Haroutounian S. (Agricultural University of Athens), product specification 'ΤΣΑΛΑΦΟΥΤΙ / TSALAFOUTI' PDO under Regulation (EU) 1151/2012, April 2024 version (copy hosted by tyrokomos.gr)spec
  2. [eambrosia] European Commission, eAmbrosia register, PDO-GR-02909 'ΤΣΑΛΑΦΟΥΤΙ / TSALAFOUTI', registered by Commission Implementing Regulation (EU) 2024/2972gov
  3. [pappa2022] Pappa E.C., Kondyli E., Vlachou A.-M., Kakouri A., Malamou E., Samelis J. 2022, Semi industrial production of Tsalafouti dairy product, AIMS Agriculture and Food 7(2):444-460, doi:10.3934/agrfood.2022028 (abstract)paper