Description
Wielkopolski Ser Smazony PGI is a fried cheese produced with raw milk, coming only from controlled producers which guarantee the quality and freshness of the milk. Caraway may be used in the composition of an aromatic variety of the product.
Production Area
The production area of Wielkopolski Ser Smazony PGI is situated within the administrative boundaries of the Greater Poland Voivodeship.
Production Method
The raw milk is stored for no longer than 24 hours at a maximum temperature of 6°C. Afterwards, the skimming of the milk takes place using special centrifuges. The skimmed milk is heated at a temperature of 70-75°C for at least 30 seconds. The starter culture (milk containing natural microflora) is prepared from pasteurised milk with the addition of a strain of lactic streptococci and keeping it at a temperature of 25°C for 8-10 hours. The souring of the milk at 20-23°C is done through the addition of the starter culture corresponding to 2% of the total milk quantity. The curds are slowly heated (for about two hours) to a temperature of 32-33°C, the heated curds are then cut and gently turned, then the whey separated from the curds is drained off obtaining the curd cheese. The curd cheese is crumbled and then spread on metal sheets in the cheese maturer. The ripening process takes place at a temperature of 16-27°C and takes twothree days. The matured curd cheese is mixed with milk fat (butter) with the addition of salt, and also caraway and it is then fried for about 15 minutes at a temperature of at least 90°C.
Appearance and Flavour
Wielkopolski Ser Smazony PGI has a firm, homogenous and elastic consistency. The colour of the cheese mass varies from light cream to yellow. The taste and smell are typical for fried cheese, i.e. rather sharp, originating in the ripened curds. The taste and aroma of caraway are clearly perceptible in the type of cheese with caraway.
History
The history of the Wielkopolski Ser Smazony PGI is linked to the custom of cheese frying, which probably started with the arrival in the Wielkopolska region of the colonizers from Western and South-Western Europe during the colonizing movement in the 18th century. The high level of know-how and local customs, shaped in many years by the farmers of the area, led to a high level of cattle farming, methods of obtaining milk and agriculture in those areas.
Gastronomy
The Wielkopolski Ser Smazony PGI is consumed like the fondue, dipping bread (preferably baguette) in the melted cheese which is obtained cooking it in bain-marie with warm water or white wine and adding minced garlic at the end. This dish goes well with: marinated onions, pickled gherkins, sweet-and-sour pumpkin, olives, tomatoes, boiled vegetables, pieces of celery, bananas, potatoes cooked in the oven and fillets of pork or poultry. After the meal an alcoholic digestive is advisable.
Marketing
The product is sold as Wielkopolski Ser Smazony PGI in two aromatic varieties: natural (pure) and with caraway. It is sold packed (Moulded) only directly after frying, when it is still hot; this process takes place at the production site.
Distinctive Features
The Wielkopolski Ser Smazony PGI is produced following the traditional recipe of the Wielkopolska region, passed down from generation to generation, and is renowned both in Poland and abroad. Its taste is most appreciated by both the young and old inhabitants of Wielkopolska.
