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The “hand-pressed” cheese is a ewe’smilk cheese, pressed and then smoked with apple wood. Its consistency is similar to today’s pasta filata (spun-curd) cheeses. This is how Columella describes it: ” The way of producing “hand pressed” cheese is very well known method. When the milk has slightly clotted in the milking bucket, and it is still warm, it separates from the whey and, by pouring boiling water over it, it can be hand moulded or pressed into wooden forms. It also has a pleasant taste if it is left to harden in brine, and later it is “coloured” (smoked) using the apple wood or straw smoke.” (Lucius Junus Moderatus Columella, “De Re Rustica”, 50 A.D.). The milk is heated at 38 oC (100 oF) and coagulated with calf rennet for about one hour. The curd is cut to rice-sized grains pieces and left to settle for about 20 minutes. The curd is then transferred into a bucket filled with hot water and hand pressed to drain off the whey. Once pressed, the cheese is salted in brine for 7-8 hours at 18 oC (64 oF) and smoked with apple wood.
