 Finnish viili withstrawberries andblueberries | |
| Type | Fermented milk |
|---|---|
| Place of origin | Nordic countries |
| Main ingredients | Milk, bacterial and yeast culture |
Viili (Finnish) orFil (Swedish) is amesophilicfermented milk product found in theNordic countries, particularlyFinland andSweden. Viili is similar toyoghurt orkefir, but when left unmixed, its texture is malleable, or "long". The metabolism of the bacteria used in the fermentation also gives viili a slightly different taste.
This culturedmilk snack resembles yoghurt and is the result of microbial action oflactic acid bacteria (LAB) and a surface-growingyeast-like fungusGeotrichum candidum present in milk, which forms a velvet-like surface on viili. In addition, most traditional viili cultures also containyeast strains such asKluveromyces marxianus andPichia fermentans. The lactic acid bacteria identified in viili include the acid‐producingLactococcus lactis subsp.lactis andL. l. cremoris as well as the aroma producersL. lactis subsp.lactis biovardiacetylactis andLeuconostoc mesenteroides.[1] Among those mesophilic LAB strains, the slime-formingLc. lactis subsp.cremoris produce a phosphate-containingheteropolysaccharide, named viilian. Viilian is similar tokefiran produced bykefir grains. The production ofexopolysaccharides (EPS) by the strain forms the consistency character of viili and it has been claimed to have various functional benefits toward the rheological properties of milk products and the health improving potential.
In modern practice, pasteurized milk is used, fermentation is carried out in a dairy plant in controlled conditions using laboratory-grown cultures and the product sold fresh. Viili is widely available in Finland and Sweden in grocery stores in several variants, both natural and with berries or other tastes. In Sweden it is also common to have different LAB and yeast strains that give the Fil different tastes.
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Several variants of fermented milk products are found in Western Finland and Sweden, such asfilmjölk ("viili milk") orlångfil ("long viili"), which vary in consistency and fermentation. In Norway, filmjölk is usually named "kulturmelk" ("cultured milk") or "surmelk" ("sour milk"), while in Gotland and Iceland, the name "skyr" is used to refer to fresh cheese that is eaten in ways similar to yoghurt variants. Additionally in Iceland "súrmjólk" is a local variant of filmjölk.
The Swedish variant most resembling viili is calledfilbunke.
Cream viili (Finnish:kermaviili) is made from cream instead of milk, and is used in cooking likesour cream, or withdill,chives and other spices as cold sauce for fish, or as a base for dip sauces.
The dictionary definition ofviili at Wiktionary
