Rigouta Explained

Rigouta
Country:	Tunisia
Source:	Sheep
Texture:	fresh soft
Aging:	1 week

The rigouta is a Tunisian fresh soft cheese, produced mainly in the city of Béja.^[1] The cheese is a close relative to the Italian ricotta and is made with the whey of Sicilo-Sarda sheep.^[2]

Production and Usage

The whey is heated at 80-90 °C to coagulate the proteins (albumins and globulins), the result is then drained in small traditional straw baskets, a clean fabric, or a perforated recipient made of plastic or metal. The main micro-organisms responsible of the fermentation are: the Lactococcus lactis and the Enterococcus faecalis.^[3]

Rigouta is also used as the basis of several preparations and dishes of Tunisian cuisine.

Notes and References

1. Toukabri Abdelmoumen, La démarche tunisienne en matière de qualification géographique des produits agricoles, séminaire FAO sur les produits alimentaires de qualité liée à l'origine et aux traditions en Méditerranée, Casablanca, 8-9 novembre 2007
2. http://www.eaap.org/docs/Publications/eaap099%20-%20875157986R.pdf Les filières lait en Méditerranée : enjeux pour un futur durable
3. « Traditional Fermented Foods of North African Countries: Technology and Food Safety Challenges With Regard to Microbiological Risks », Food Science and Food Safety, vol. 12, No. 1, janvier 2013, pp. 54-89