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Fermentation Atlas

Stretched-curd cheeses

Acidified curd stretched in hot water or whey, as for mozzarella and provolone.

131 entries listed here, page 1 of 2.

How these cheeses are made

The shared make of pasta filata (stretched-curd) cheese family. Each cheese below says what it does differently.

  1. Set the milk with whey starter and rennetup to 30 min · 34–39 °C
  2. Break the curd
  3. Let the curd sour until it stretches3–8 h · 20–27.5 °C
  4. Stretch in hot water60–93.5 °C
  5. Firm in cold water and brine25 min – 25 days · 16.5–19.5 °C · 4–18 % salt
  6. Dry and age (provolone)at least 10 days · 15–16 °C

Compare them

CheeseRegionMilkRipeningRind
Abaza peyniri (Sakarya Abhaz peyniri)Turkey, Sakarya provinceWhole cow milk, boiled2 months at 3–6 °C
Acharuli chlechili (Adjarian chlechili)Georgia, Autonomous Republic of Adjara30 days – 2 months
AinuzziItaly, Sicilia24 hThin skin, milk-white to light straw after a few days
Animaletti di provolaItaly, Calabria4–5 daysNone; surface just dried, smooth, straw-yellow
Bocconcini alla panna di bufalaItaly, CampaniaNone or a thin skin; smooth, glossy, damp, bluish porcelain white
Burrata di Andria PGIItaly, PugliaCow milk, raw or pasteurised, plus creamNone; a fresh cheese kept at 4 °C ±2
Burrata di bufalaItaly, Lazio12 hNone; glossy porcelain-white skin
Burrell' (Scamorza con burro all'interno)Italy, LazioCow milk, whole; raw at Picinisco, pasteurised at 68–70 °C for 30 s at CassinoAbout 7 days of drying at Picinisco (7–10 days in one ONAF sheet); none at Cassino
BurrinoItaly, Moliseat least 2 monthsVery thin, glossy, straw-yellow (especially when made in spring)
ButirroItaly, Calabria7 days – 2 months
Caci figuratiItaly, Sicilia30 days – 3 months
CaciobarileItaly, Campania4–6 months
Caciocavallo abruzzeseItaly, Abruzzo3 months – 2 years
Caciocavallo affumicatoItaly, Campania60 days to more than 12 monthsFairly thin, smooth, matt; straw to orange
Caciocavallo del FormicosoItaly, Campania24 hClean, straw-yellow, darkening to leather colour and thickening with age
Caciocavallo del MateseItaly, Campaniaup to 18 months
Caciocavallo di AgnoneItaly, Molise, Alto Molise2 months – 2 yearsThin, hard, smooth, hazel; mould-mottled if long aged
Caciocavallo di bufalaItaly, Campania, the buffalo mozzarella provinces of Napoli, Salerno and Casertaat least 2 monthsClean, smooth, white to straw (ochre if smoked); mould spots on aged cheese
Caciocavallo di bufala (semplice e affumicato)Italy, Lazio20 days – 3 months
Caciocavallo di CastelfrancoItaly, Campania, province of Benevento, Castelfranco in Miscano and nearby villages of the Miscano valley3 months – 2 yearsClean, smooth, pale to deeper straw; thin to slightly thick
Caciocavallo di CiminàItaly, Calabria, province of Reggio Calabria, the Aspromonte foothills of the Ionian side90–95% Podolica cow, 5–10% goat, rawat least 2 daysFresh: none, smooth shiny white; aged: thin, fairly hard, wrinkled, whitish-yellow
Caciocavallo di grotta del Cervati e delle Gole di PertosaItaly, Campania, province of Salerno, the Tanagro valley, Monte Cervati and the Alburni mountains4 months – 2 yearsMouldy; pale straw to grey depending on surface mould
Caciocavallo di Massa di MarateaItaly, Basilicata, province of Potenza, the commune of Marateaup to 2 monthsNone or thin; smooth, white
Caciocavallo di SupinoItaly, Lazioat least 15 daysThin, smooth, straw-yellow
Caciocavallo irpino di grottaItaly, Campania, province of Avellino, the mountain areas of the Ufita and Ofanto valleys, Terminio–Cervialto and the Alta Irpinia45 days – 2 yearsClean, smooth, straw to light brown; light white mould traces
Caciocavallo palermitanoItaly, Sicily, province of Palermoat least 30 daysClean, smooth, sharp edges; straw to amber or brown, up to about 3 mm
Caciocavallo PodolicoItaly, BasilicataRaw milk of Podolica cows or their crosses, or of other cows at pasture6 and 12 months in one study; large forms up to 4–5 years
Caciocavallo podolico daunoItaly, Puglia, province of Foggia, the Gargano and the Sub-Appennino Dauno6–12 monthsThin, smooth, shiny; alabaster to amber yellow
Caciocavallo podolico dei Monti PicentiniItaly, Campania, the Picentini mountains: Montella, Bagnoli Irpino, Cassano Irpino, Nusco, Volturara Irpina and Serinoat least 15 daysClean; alabaster white when young, straw to reddish-yellow when aged
Caciocavallo Silano PDOItaly, southern ApenninesRaw cow milk only, which may be thermised at the dairy to 58 °C for 30 secondsAt least 30 days; 'extra' at least 4 months; 'gran riserva' at least 9 months
Caciocavallo stagionato in grotta del TanagroItaly, Campania, province of Salerno, the communes of the Tanagro valley, above all Caggiano3 months – 2 yearsClean, smooth, matt, pale straw; mould removed at the end of ageing
Caciocavallo vaccino (semplice e affumicato)Italy, Lazio15 days – 8 yearsThin, smooth, straw-yellow; darker when smoked
CaciocchiatoItaly, Campania, province of Avellino, the commune of Ariano Irpino2–12 monthsThin, smooth, yellowish to light hazel; light brown when smoked
Caciotta di vacca ciociara (semplice e alle erbe)Italy, Lazio, province of Frosinone, the commune of Ferentino10–20 daysThin, smooth, elastic, white; ochre after smoking
Caciotto di Cirella di PlatìItaly, Calabria30 days – 4 months
Cașcaval de Săveni PGIRomania, northern half of Botoșani CountyRaw cow milk from the delimited area of Botoșani CountyAt least 60 days at 2–8 °C
CasizoluItaly, Sardegna30 days – 15 monthsClean, thin, smooth, yellow to ochre
Casizolu di pecoraItaly, Sardegnaat least 7 daysThin, smooth, yellow
ChechilArmenia, GeorgiaSkimmed cow milk5–10 min
Ciambella di MoroloItaly, Lazio20–30 daysSmooth, smoke-yellow
Civil peyniri / küflü civilTürkiye, Erzurum provinceSkimmed cow milk; civil has at most 3% fat and at most 5% fat in dry matterCivil is eaten fresh or kept in brine; küflü civil ripens at least 60 days
CofanettoItaly, Sicilia20 days – 12 monthsSmooth with sharp corners; light straw when young, amber to brown and up to about 3 mm thick when aged
Cosacavaddu ibleoItaly, Sicilia24 hSmooth, thin and compact, golden or straw, darkening with age; rubbed with olive oil
Diyarbakır Örgü PeyniriTurkey, Diyarbakır province and its districts3 months
Farci-provolaItaly, Calabria4–5 daysVery thin, smooth skin, ivory to pale straw
Fior di latte / Mozzarella STGItalyWhole milk that arrives raw and is pasteurised at the dairy (TSG)Fresh; sold in liquid and kept at 0–4 °C
Fiordilatte dell'Agro PontinoItaly, LazioWhole cow milk from the Agro Pontino, protein above 3 % and fat above 3.6 %None; eaten very freshNone; a thin, smooth, glossy pearl-white skin
Formaella Arachovas Parnassou PDOGreece, Arachova on Mount ParnassusGoat milk, sheep milk or a mix4 days
Gibna mudaffara (braided cheese)Sudan12 h
Gran cacio di MoroloItaly, LazioWhole raw cow milkAt least 5 months (1 kg) to about 18 months (5 kg)
Kars KaşarıTürkiye, Kars and Ardahan provinces3–6 months
Kashkaval / KaşarBulgaria and the Balkan PeninsulaBalkan is sheep milk, Vitosha cow milk, Preslav a mixture (BDS 14:2010, as summarised)2–6 months for the full aroma
Kasseri PDOGreeceSheep milk, or sheep milk mixed with goat milkAt least 3 months
Klenovecký syrecSlovakia, Gemer-Malohontat least 20 daysClosed surface stamped with a toothed circle around a cross or four-leaf ornament
Malkara Eski Kaşar PeyniriTurkey, Tekirdağ provinceat least 3 monthsHard, thick, dirty-straw to dark-straw yellow
Manteca del CilentoItaly, Campania25 hThin skin, white to straw; harder with age
Mavrovo mountain-pasture kashkaval (Galichki kashkaval)North Macedonia, Mavrovo National Park on Bistra mountainRaw sheep milk from summer mountain pastures; no starter45 min
Meskhuri chechili (Meskhetian chechili)Georgia, Samtskhe-Javakheti5–10 min
Metsovone PDOGreece, Epirus, Metsovo province of the Ioannina prefectureCow milk, or cow milk with up to 20% sheep or goat milk, from the Metsovo areaAt least 3 months at 15–17 °C before smoking
Mozzarella di BrugnatoItaly, Liguria30–45 minNone, or a very thin skin
Mozzarella di Bufala Campana PDOItaly, Campania, with parts of Lazio, Puglia and MoliseWhole fresh Italian Mediterranean buffalo milk, at least 7.2% fat and 4.2% protein, used within 60 h of milkingNone; sold fresh in its liquid
Mozzarella di vacca (Molise)Italy, MoliseWhole cow milk of local breeds, raw or thermised20 daysNone; smooth, glossy, porcelain-white skin
Mozzarella nella mortellaItaly, Campania12–24 hNone; a thin white skin marked by the myrtle leaves
Mozzarella o Fior di latteItaly, Puglia10 min – 7 hNone; a very thin white skin
Mozzarella silanaItaly, Calabria24 hNone; a smooth, shiny skin
Mozzarelle di AviglianoItaly, Basilicata2 hNone; a thin, smooth, shiny white skin
Mugnaia di bufalaItaly, Lazio4–4.5 hNone or a soft, clean skin
Oravský korbáčik PGISlovakia, Orava river basin2–10 min
OscypekPoland, Podhale and nearby Tatra and Beskid areasRaw sheep milk, at least 60 %, with optional Polish Red cow milk3–7 days
Pallone di GravinaItaly, Puglia3–4 daysThin to medium, smooth, straw to amber; brownish mould spots may stay after washing
PiddiatoItaly, Sicilia20 days – 12 monthsNone; smooth, soft white surface
Pirotski kačkavaljSerbia, Pirot and its surroundingsCow, sheep or, usually, mixed milkAbout two months; the national kačkavalj standard requires at least 8 weeks
Provola affumicataItaly, Campania2 days – 5 monthsA thin, soft, straw-yellow skin when fresh; a drier ochre to reddish rind when aged
Provola affumicata di bufalaItaly, Campaniaat least 2 daysA thin, soft, straw-yellow to ochre skin
Provola dei Monti SicaniItaly, Siciliaup to 30 daysA very thin, smooth skin or clean rind, white to straw-yellow
Provola delle MadonieItaly, Sicilia10–15 daysA thin, smooth, straw-yellow rind; dark hazel in the smoked type
Provola di bufala (semplice e affumicata)Italy, LazioRaw whole buffalo milkAt most one weekThin, smooth skin; white to pale yellow, hazelnut-brown if smoked
Provola di vacca (semplice e affumicata)Italy, LazioWhole cow milk, raw (Latina) or pasteurisedPrimo sale after 1–2 days; traditionally over 30 days and up to 6 monthsSmooth, glossy; white (primo sale) to straw-yellow, amber when smoked
Provola e caciotta a pasta filataItaly, Trentino-Alto Adige, Prov. Trento2–3 hA thin, smooth, soft skin, white or brown if smoked
Provola sicilianaItaly, Sicilia30 days – 3 monthsThin, smooth, ivory to amber-yellow

Bold names have a full page with the animated steps. Blank cells: no sourced value yet.

Numbers come from cited sources and carry a label that says how each is known. How this atlas is made