() is a variety of

cheese Cheese is a dairy product produced in wide ranges of flavors, textures, and forms by coagulation of the milk protein casein. It comprises proteins and fat from milk, usually the milk of cows, buffalo, goats, or sheep. During production, ...

typical of the

province of Genoa The Province of Genoa (Italian ''Provincia di Genova'') was a province in the Liguria region of Italy. Its capital was the city of Genoa. It was replaced by Metropolitan City of Genoa. Overview It has an area of and a total population of about ...

in the region of Liguria in Italy. In Italian it is also referred to as ''quagliata'' or ''cagliata''. It is recognised by ''P.A.T. ( Prodotti Agroalimentari Tradizionali)''. It has a consistency halfway between yogurt and

ricotta cheese Ricotta ( in Italian) is an Italian whey cheese made from sheep, cow, goat, or Italian water buffalo milk whey left over from the production of other cheeses. Like other whey cheeses, it is made by coagulating the proteins that remain after the ...

. It has a fairly sour flavor and is used in the preparation of a number of typical Ligurian dishes, such as '' pansoti'' (similar to

ravioli Ravioli (; singular: ''raviolo'', ) are a type of pasta comprising a filling enveloped in thin pasta dough. Usually served in broth or with a sauce, they originated as a traditional food in Italian cuisine. Ravioli are commonly square, though o ...

but filled with vegetables), ''focaccia al formaggio'', and many savory pies, including Genoese Easter pie ( ''torta pasqualina''). It is obtained through the process of acidification of milk: from it is derived a sour milk product, which is let rest in plastic or glass containers. Because it spoils easily, prescinsêua cheese is not commonly sold beyond Genoa and the eastern part of Liguria, but its flavor and consistency can be approximated by mixing ricotta cheese with yogurt or sour cream. It is often served for breakfast, with small amounts of sugar, honey or fruit preserve added.

Etymology

The Genoese term ''Prescinsêua'' derives from

rennet Rennet () is a complex set of enzymes produced in the stomachs of ruminant mammals. Chymosin, its key component, is a protease enzyme that curdles the casein in milk. In addition to chymosin, rennet contains other enzymes, such as pepsin and a ...

(''presû'' in Genoese) extracted from the abomasum of

suckling Breastfeeding, or nursing, is the process by which human breast milk is fed to a child. Breast milk may be from the breast, or may be expressed by hand or pumped and fed to the infant. The World Health Organization (WHO) recommends that brea ...

calves.

History

It is first mentioned in 1383. Since 1413, a law enforced by the

Repubblica di Genova The Republic of Genoa ( lij, Repúbrica de Zêna ; it, Repubblica di Genova; la, Res Publica Ianuensis) was a medieval and early modern maritime republic from the 11th century to 1797 in Liguria on the northwestern Italian coast. During the La ...

stated that this cheese could have been the only gift which could have been made by the people of Genoa to the Doge. The product is thought to have been brought in Liguria from the Far East. Since the medieval times, it has been produced in ''Val Fontanabuona'' (a valley above '' Camogli'' and '' Rapallo''), with cows coming from ''

Val d'Aveto The Val d'Aveto, or Aveto valley, straddles the Province of Genoa and the Province of Piacenza, between the Italian regions of Liguria and Emilia-Romagna. The river Aveto runs through the valley, to later join its waters with those of the Trebbia n ...

''. In the past, it was mainly used as ingredient for ''focaccia al formaggio (tipo Recco)'', but nowadays, not being widely produced, ''prescinsêua'' is substituted by stracchino or

crescenza Stracchino (), also known as ''crescenza'' (), is a type of Italian cow's-milk cheese, typical of Lombardy, Piedmont, Veneto, and Liguria. It is eaten very young, has no rind and a very soft, creamy texture and normally a mild and delicate flavo ...

(a similar cheese to stracchino cheese).

Preparation

While in the past it was obtained through the processing of whey, now it is obtained starting from whole milk. Two liters of milk are let resting in a pot for 48 hours. Afterwards, 500ml of such milk are put in another pot and heated to , rennet is added (about 5g). The two milk pots are joined and let rest for four more hours.

Cultural Influence

The cheese product was mentioned by the Genoese music group

Buio Pesto Buio Pesto is a musical band from the small town of Bogliasco near Genoa, Italy. The name of the group is an Italian way to describe something very dark, but at the same time the word ''pesto'' can also refer to the typical Ligurian pasta sauce, ...

in their song "''Prescinsêua''" part of their 2010 album ''Pesto''.

References

{{DISPLAYTITLE:''Prescinsêua'' cheese Cuisine of Liguria Cheese Italian cheeses

Etymology

History

Preparation

Cultural Influence

See also

References