Liguria, primarily Genoa and the surrounding province. Prescinsêua is a protected Ligurian product — its production is almost entirely local, which is why it rarely appears in recipe books outside the region.
Prescinsêua (or cagliata) is the fresh curd cheese foundational to Ligurian cooking — a soft, slightly grainy, mildly acidic fresh cheese made by coagulating whole milk with a small amount of rennet and allowing the whey to drain. It sits between yoghurt and ricotta in texture, and between cottage cheese and crème fraîche in flavour — slightly sour, milky, with none of the sweetness of ricotta. It is used in the filling of pansoti, torta pasqualina, and focaccia di Recco, and eaten fresh with honey or fruit.
Fresh, milky, with a clean lactic sourness — almost yoghurtic. In cooked applications (torta pasqualina, pansoti filling) the acid survives heat and provides an essential counterpoint to olive oil and nuts. Eaten fresh, it is simple and pure.
Whole raw or lightly pasteurised milk is warmed to 36-38°C and inoculated with liquid rennet (1-2 drops per litre). After 15-20 minutes the curd sets — firm enough to cut. Cut into walnut-sized curds, rest 5 minutes, then drain in a cheesecloth-lined colander until the cheese has the consistency of a thick, slightly loose yoghurt. The acidity comes from natural lactic fermentation in the milk — commercial prescinsêua has a longer fermentation. If unavailable, the closest substitute is a 50/50 mix of ricotta and natural yoghurt.
The acid in prescinsêua is the balancing element in otherwise rich Ligurian dishes — it cuts through the fat of olive oil and pine nuts in pansoti. When making torta pasqualina, do not drain the prescinsêua completely — a slightly wet curd produces a more tender, creamier filling. Add a teaspoon of lemon juice to ricotta-based substitutes to approximate the tang.
Using UHT milk — the proteins are denatured and the curd will not form properly. Temperature too high when adding rennet — above 40°C kills the cultures needed for acidity. Draining too long — dry prescinsêua loses its characteristic creamy texture. Not using enough rennet — the curd remains too soft and cannot be drained.
Slow Food Editore, Liguria in Cucina; Giorgio Locatelli, Made in Italy