Lietuviškas varškės sūris

Lietuviškas varškės sūris is a traditional Lithuanian cheese known for its distinctive triangular prism shape with rounded corners. It is an unripened curd cheese that can be consumed fresh, smoked, baked, or dried. The cheese is made using a lactic acid bacteria starter culture without the use of rennet. It is traditionally shaped by stuffing curds into triangular cheese bags, which are tied shut with a knot. The cheese can be made with or without herbs and salt, and it is known for its lactic acid flavor with hints of seasonings. Lietuviškas varškės sūris is an integral part of Lithuania's culinary heritage and is often featured in traditional celebrations and daily life.

Dubysa, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons

Key Facts

Country of Origin	Lithuania
Protection	PGI (2011)
Milk Type	Cow's milk
Milk Treatment	Pasteurised
Fat Content	7-25% or low-fat (up to 0.5%)
Moisture Content	At least 31% in fresh, baked, and smoked cheeses; at least 67% in dried cheese
Texture	Soft, homogeneous, rather dense, may crumble when cut (fresh); homogeneous, dense, a little elastic (baked); homogeneous, dense, crumbly (smoked); homogeneous, hard, difficult to cut, crumbles when broken (dried)
Flavor	Characteristic lactic acid with hints of seasonings
Aroma	Characteristic lactic acid, smoky (for smoked cheese)
Colors	White to yellowish (fresh and dried); yellowish to brownish (baked); dark yellow to brown (smoked)
Forms	Fresh, Smoked, Baked, Dried
Rennet Type	None used