Ricotta Curdled with Ocean Water

Every time I am in Hawaii, I make Hawaiian ricotta. The texture of cheese curdled with ocean water is fantastic. It is creamy-soft and, for the lack of a better word, juicy, even after straining most of the whey. The ratio of salty ocean water to milk may seem scary, but this ricotta tastes surprisingly sweet with only an intriguing trace of saltiness and minerality. I suppose the unique chemical composition of ocean water, in general, is responsible for the effect, and probably it’s the Pacific ocean water in Hawaii in particular. The coagulant derived from the sea or ocean water is traditional but primarily used in Asian cuisines for tofu making. In China, it is known as lushui, in Japan — as nigari. Ocean water is very salty, and it might seem that sodium chloride (salt) is responsible for curdling the milk, but the real coagulating agent is magnesium chloride. Lushui and nigari are made by removing the salt from the ocean water (preferably clean deep water) and evaporating moisture until a pure coagulant is left. Australian and Tunisian cuisines are the only two I know that use ocean and seawater for making cow milk cheese.

Unbalanced

% Daily Values based on a 2,000 calorie diet

Step 1

Prepare a basket lined with an unscented paper towel or cheesecloth.

Step 2

Pour milk into a saucepan and slowly bring it to almost simmering, about 175F. Stir it from time to time to ensure it is not burning on the bottom.

Step 3

When a milk protein foam starts forming on the surface of the milk, add ocean water, stir for the last time, and let it start simmering again. Simmer for 1-2 minutes and turn the heat off. Watch how milk is curdled. The whey is far from being clear, very milky.

Step 4

Transfer soft curds into the prepared basket. Strain the whey.

Step 5

Place some weight to press more whey out of cheese. You can control how much moister to keep in your ricotta at this step. I used a bottle of Hawaiian rum as a press for about 2 hours.

Step 6

Place cheese into a closed container and keep refrigerated for 3 days. Serve sliced with Hawaiian sweet bread, lilikoi butter, local honey, fresh fruit, and a cup of tea or coffee.

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