Ingredients
Cultured milk
- 1 litrewhole milk
- 2 tbspviili from a previous batch, as starter
To serve
- ground cinnamon
- sugar
- berries
Directions
- Heat the milk to 85°C (185°F), hold five minutes, then cool it to 20°C (68°F). Viili is set at room temperature, not at yoghurt heat, and warming the culture beyond about 25°C (77°F) kills the mould half of it.
- Spread the viili starter thinly across the bottom of a wide shallow bowl or several small ones, then pour the cooled milk gently over it. Wide and shallow matters: the mould that gives viili its velvety skin grows on the surface, so a deep jar gives very little of it.
- Cover with a cloth and leave completely undisturbed at room temperature for 24 to 48 hours.
- It is ready when it has set and a spoon drawn through it lifts long stretchy threads. The ropiness is the culture’s exopolysaccharides and it is the whole character of viili — if it is not stretchy, it is not viili.
- A fine velvety white bloom may form on the surface. That is the Geotrichum candidum in the culture and it is meant to be there.
- Chill and eat cold, dusted with cinnamon and sugar, or with berries.
- Keep two tablespoons back to start the next batch. The culture runs indefinitely if it is fed weekly.
Technique
- Do not move the bowl while it sets. Disturbed, the ropy structure breaks and never re-forms.
- Room temperature, not warm. This is a mesophilic culture with a mould in it, and heat destroys both.
- You cannot start viili from yoghurt or buttermilk. The culture has to come from an existing viili — a spoonful from someone else’s, or a dried culture bought for the purpose.
Substitutions
- A freeze-dried viili culture, which is sold by home-dairy suppliers.
- Any fat level of milk; the higher the fat, the thicker the result.
Variations
- Long viili is the ropiest type; short viili is set firmer and less stretchy.
- The Swedish långfil and Norwegian tettemelk are close relatives.
History
A Nordic soured milk whose stretchy texture comes from a mould and bacteria culture that farm households passed on for generations.
Frequently asked questions
What is Viili?
Viili is a cheese & dairy from Finland: ropy, mildly sour fermented milk eaten with cinnamon and sugar. A Nordic soured milk whose stretchy texture comes from a mould and bacteria culture that farm households passed on for generations.
How long does Viili take to make?
Viili takes 10 min plus 24 to 48 hours setting of preparation and 10 min of cooking. The recipe makes makes 1 litre. It is rated easy to make.
What can I substitute in Viili?
Yes, within limits. A freeze-dried viili culture, which is sold by home-dairy suppliers. Any fat level of milk; the higher the fat, the thicker the result.
What is the most important thing to get right in Viili?
It is ready when it has set and a spoon drawn through it lifts long stretchy threads. The ropiness is the culture’s exopolysaccharides and it is the whole character of viili — if it is not stretchy, it is not viili.
