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{{Short description|Mesophilic fermented milk product}}
{{Infobox prepared food
| name             = Viili
| image            = Viili.jpg
| caption          = Finnish viili with [[strawberries]] and [[blueberries]]
| alternate_name   = 
| country          = [[Nordic countries]]
| region           = 
| creator          = 
| course           = 
| type             = [[Fermented milk products|Fermented milk]]
| served           = 
| main_ingredient  = [[Milk]], bacterial and yeast culture
| variations       = 
| calories         = 
| other            = 
}}

'''Viili''' (Finnish) or '''Fil''' (Swedish) is a [[mesophilic]] [[Fermented milk products|fermented milk product]] found in the [[Nordic countries]], particularly [[Finland]] and [[Sweden]]. Viili is similar to [[yoghurt]] or [[kefir]], 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 cultured [[milk]] snack resembles yoghurt and is the result of microbial action of [[lactic acid bacteria]] (LAB) and a surface-growing [[yeast]]-like fungus ''[[Geotrichum candidum]]'' present in milk, which forms a velvet-like surface on viili. In addition, most traditional viili cultures also contain [[yeast]] strains such as ''Kluveromyces marxianus'' and ''Pichia fermentans''. The lactic acid bacteria identified in viili include the acid‐producing ''[[Lactococcus lactis]]'' subsp. ''lactis'' and ''L. l. cremoris'' as well as the aroma producers ''L. lactis'' subsp. ''lactis'' biovar ''diacetylactis'' and ''[[Leuconostoc mesenteroides]]''.<ref name=Kahala2008>{{cite journal | title = Characterization of starter lactic acid bacteria from the Finnish fermented milk product viili | year = 2008| doi = 10.1111/j.1365-2672.2008.03952.x| doi-access = free| last1 = Kahala| first1 = M.| last2 = Mäki| first2 = M.| last3 = Lehtovaara| first3 = A.| last4 = Tapanainen| first4 = J.-M.| last5 = Katiska| first5 = R.| last6 = Juuruskorpi| first6 = M.| last7 = Juhola| first7 = J.| last8 = Joutsjoki| first8 = V.| journal = Journal of Applied Microbiology| volume = 105| issue = 6| pages = 1929–1938| pmid = 19120639}}</ref> Among those mesophilic LAB strains, the slime-forming ''Lc. lactis'' subsp. ''cremoris'' produce a phosphate-containing [[heteropolysaccharide]], named viilian. Viilian is similar to [[kefiran]] produced by [[kefir|kefir grains]]. The production of [[exopolysaccharides]] (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.

== Other variants ==
{{Unreferenced section|date=February 2025}} 
Several variants of fermented milk products are found in Western Finland and Sweden, such as [[filmjölk]] ("viili milk") or [[långfil]] ("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 called ''filbunke''.

Cream viili (Finnish: ''kermaviili'') is made from cream instead of milk, and is used in cooking like [[sour cream]], or with [[dill]], [[chives]] and other spices as cold sauce for fish, or as a base for dip sauces.

==References==
*Leporanta, K. 2003. ''Viili and [[Långfil]] – exotic fermented products from Scandinavia.'' Valio Foods & Functionals. On line version
*Mistry, V. V. 2004. ''Fermented liquid milk products. In: Handbook of food and beverage fermentation technology.'' (Ed. Y. H. Hui, L. Meunier-Goddik, Å. S. Hansen, J. Josephsen, W. Nip, P. S. Stanfield and F. Toldrá) Marcel Dekker, Inc. New York, U.S.A.
*Ruas-Madiedo, P., M. Gueimonde, C. G. De los Reyes-Gavilán and S. Salminen. 2006. ''Short communication: Effect of exopolysaccharide isolated from “viili” on the adhesion of probiotics and pathogens to intestinal mucus.'' J. Dairy Sci. 89:2355-2358. 
*Shurtleff, W. and A. Aoyagi. 2004. ''History of Fermented Soymilk and Its products: History of Soybeans and Soyfoods: 1100 B.C. to the 1980s.'' Soyfoods Center, Lafayette, California.
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== External links ==
{{wiktionary-inline|viili}}

{{Yogurts}}

[[Category:Fermented dairy products]]
[[Category:Finnish cuisine]]
[[Category:Non-Newtonian fluids]]

[[de:Dickmilch]]
[[sv:Fil (mjölkprodukt)]]