🧀 San Michali
Also known as: Σαν Μιχάλη
San Michali is a hard PDO cheese from the island of Syros, made from partly skimmed cow's milk and matured for at least 4 months.
San Michali is a hard traditional cheese from the island of Syros in the Cyclades. Unlike most protected Greek cheeses, it is made from cow's milk, partly skimmed and pasteurised. It matures for at least four months, and its name has been protected in the EU as a PDO since 1996. 13
Where the milk comes from. The cows are kept on Syros itself; they are adapted to local conditions and feed on the plants available. So the area limits both the raw material and the cheesemaking, and the cheese must mature on the island. The application came from the union of agricultural cooperatives of Syros. 3
How young it is. The 1994 application says this cheese has been made on Syros for the last 40–50 years. That is not long compared with Greece's old cheeses, but consumers have already come to value it highly. 3
How it is made. The milk is coagulated at 32–34 °C. The curd is cut into small pieces, heated to 48–50 °C, lightly salted, placed in moulds and pressed hard. Heat and pressure squeeze out the whey, which is why the cheese is hard. It then spends about 12 days in brine of 18–20 °Bé at 10–14 °C, and after that matures for at least four months at 14–16 °C and 85% relative humidity. 3
Why it matters to you. Look for the words San Michali PDO, the control mark SANMI, a serial number and the production date. The name guarantees origin on Syros. This is a cow's milk cheese rather than a sheep's or goat's one like most protected Greek cheeses, so the taste will differ if you want a substitute for a hard sheep's cheese. The milk is pasteurised. 3
Facts
| Raw material | Partly skimmed cow's milk |
|---|---|
| Country | Greece |
| Region | Island of Syros, Cyclades |
| Duration | At least 4 months |
| Legal basis | EU PDO since 21.06.1996, PDO-GR-0432 1 |
How it connects to Cheese
🧀 San Michali ← gives ← 🔄 Curdling → gives → 🧀 Cheese
Links
- Made from which milk
- 🥛 Cow's milk
- How it is made
- 🔄 Curdling, 🔄 Ripening
- What is needed
- 🧂 Salt
- What it contains
- 🧪 Milk fat
- Traditions
- 🧑🤝🧑 Greeks, 🌍 Southern Europe
- Part of
- 🪨 Hard cheeses, 🇬🇷 Greek cheeses, 🏷️ Protected cheese names
Frequently asked questions
What milk is San Michali made from?
Partly skimmed, pasteurised cow's milk from Syros.
Where is this cheese made?
On the island of Syros in the Cyclades.
How long does it mature?
For at least four months at 14–16 °C.
How old is this cheese?
The 1994 application spoke of the last 40–50 years of production.
Is it true that all protected Greek cheeses are made from sheep's or goat's milk?
No. San Michali is made from cow's milk.
What to read next
- 🧪 Milk fat — ~3.5% in cow's milk.
- 🌍 Southern Europe — The Mediterranean south of Europe — Spain, Italy, Greece, Portugal: sheep's and goat's milk cheeses and most of the world's olive oil.
- 🔄 Curdling — Rennet coagulates casein into a curd (the basis of cheese).
- 🧂 Salt — Added to cheese and butter.
- 🧑🤝🧑 Greeks — The people of Greece, in the south of the Balkans and on Mediterranean islands; olives grown for over 4,000 years, with olive oil, feta and wine.
Similar
🧀 Graviera Kritis · 🧀 Ladotyri Mytilinis · 🧀 Bitto · 🧀 Istarski ovčji sir · 🧀 Fiore Sardo · 🧀 Idiazabal
ℹ️ Dairy products contain lactose and milk proteins: if you are lactose intolerant or allergic to milk protein, ask a doctor.
Sources
- eAmbrosia — Σαν Μιχάλη / San Michali (PDO-GR-0432)
- Commission Regulation (EC) No 1107/96
- San Michali PDO: summary of the specification, Ministerial Decision 313069/18.1.94 (EU register)