Squacquerone di Romagna

Appearance & taste

Squacquerone di Romagna has neither rind nor skin. The paste is pearly white, soft, creamy, sticky, melting and easily spreadable; because it is so creamy, its shape follows the container. A cheese weighs 0.1 to 2 kg. The flavour is pleasant and sweet, with a slightly sour nuance; the salt is noticeable but not dominant. The specification describes the aroma as typically delicate and milky, with a spicy note. The fat content is 46 to 59 % in dry matter.

The cheese is packed in food-grade paper or in suitable containers. The label bears “Squacquerone di Romagna – Denominazione d’Origine Protetta” or “Squacquerone di Romagna – DOP” and the maximum storage temperature; it is stored at 0 to 6 °C. The name appears in blue and white on the outer wrapping.

Production

At least 60 % of the dry matter of the feed ration consists of green fodder and silage from legumes and grasses growing in the area; lucerne is an important component. It is supplemented with protein, fibre and energy feeds such as legumes, bran or cereals. The cows are kept in the area, and their whole milk is processed there.

Natural starter cultures with local biotypes of Streptococcus thermophilus are used, obtained in the area in fermenters with milk from the area. According to the specification, the production technique has hardly changed. The length of the process depends on the season, longer in winter, shorter in summer; in this way the cheesemakers prevent the paste from becoming too firm. Because the cheese has no rind and is eaten whole, it is easily contaminated; it is therefore packed in the area and at the certified dairy.

Origin & history

The area is characterised by soils on land rising out of the alluvial plain and by moderately subcontinental temperatures. Cereals, forage crops and specialised crops are grown. The farms have always concentrated mainly on crop growing and kept only a few cattle for milk and as draught animals. Part of the milk was made into Squacquerone, and selling the cheese gave the farmers an additional income.

The feed from the area is rich in sugars and easily digestible fibre; the cows get their energy mainly from the green fodder and hardly at all from fats and starch. According to the specification, this results in a milk low in fat and protein, to which the gel-like creamy consistency and spreadability of the cheese are due. The local biotypes of Streptococcus thermophilus were isolated from raw milk samples from numerous herds in the area; according to the specification, they cannot be replaced by any strain from international collections.