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Leipäjuusto (bread cheese) or juustoleipä ( fit, kahvijuusto; sv, kaffeost or ''brödost''), also known in the United States as Finnish squeaky cheese, is a Finnish fresh
The milk is curdled and set to form a round disk from two to three centimeters thick. After this, leipäjuusto is baked, grilled, or flambéed to give it its distinctive brown or charred marks.
Traditionally, leipäjuusto was dried and could then be stored for up to several years. For eating, the dry, almost rock hard cheese was heated on a fire which softened it and produced an especially appetizing aroma. Even today, the cheese may be dried by keeping it in a well ventilated place for a few days. It has a mild flavour.
Leipäjuusto can be eaten warm or cold, and is served in a number of ways:
* The traditional way is to serve it as slices, as a side dish with coffee.
* A few pieces are placed in a cup, with hot coffee poured on. The Swedish name ''kaffeost'' ("coffee cheese") refers to this.
* Served as diamond-shaped pieces, roughly 5 to 7 cm long and a little less wide, with
Leipäjuusto (bread cheese) or juustoleipä ( fit, kahvijuusto; sv, kaffeost or ''brödost''), also known in the United States as Finnish squeaky cheese, is a Finnish fresh cheese
Cheese is a dairy product produced in wide ranges of flavors, textures, and forms by coagulation of the milk protein casein. It comprises proteins and fat from milk, usually the milk of cows, buffalo, goats, or sheep. During production, ...
traditionally made from cow's beestings
Colostrum, also known as beestings or first milk, is the first form of milk produced by the mammary glands of mammals (including humans) immediately following delivery of the newborn. Colostrum powder is rich in high protein and low in sugar and ...
, rich milk from a cow that has recently calved. Reindeer or even goat milk can also be used. Commercially available versions are typically made from cow's milk, and they lack some of the colour and flavour because of this. The cheese originally comes from Southern Ostrobothnia, Northern Finland, and Kainuu
Kainuu ( sv, Kajanaland) is one of the 19 regions of Finland (''maakunta'' / ''landskap''). Kainuu borders the regions of North Ostrobothnia, North Savo and North Karelia. In the east, it also borders Russia (Republic of Karelia).
Culturally Kai ...
.Magnus Nilsson. The Nordic Cookbook (2015) 768 pag. ,
Name
Traditionally, the cheese has been called ''leipäjuusto'' mainly in Ostrobothnia and Lapland and ''juustoleipä'' in Kainuu. Nowadays the two words are interchangeable, but ''leipäjuusto'' is the more common spelling. Other dialects have various names (such as narskujuusto) that refer to the way that fresh leipäjuusto "squeaks" against the teeth when bitten.Susan Raisanen. Squeaky Cheese: The Ultimate Guide to Making Finnish Leipajuusto. (2016). 52 pag. ,Preparation
The milk is curdled and set to form a round disk from two to three centimeters thick. After this, leipäjuusto is baked, grilled, or flambéed to give it its distinctive brown or charred marks.
Traditionally, leipäjuusto was dried and could then be stored for up to several years. For eating, the dry, almost rock hard cheese was heated on a fire which softened it and produced an especially appetizing aroma. Even today, the cheese may be dried by keeping it in a well ventilated place for a few days. It has a mild flavour.
Methods of serving
Leipäjuusto can be eaten warm or cold, and is served in a number of ways:
* The traditional way is to serve it as slices, as a side dish with coffee.
* A few pieces are placed in a cup, with hot coffee poured on. The Swedish name ''kaffeost'' ("coffee cheese") refers to this.
* Served as diamond-shaped pieces, roughly 5 to 7 cm long and a little less wide, with cloudberry
''Rubus chamaemorus'' is a species of flowering plant in the rose family Rosaceae, native to cool temperate regions, alpine and arctic tundra and boreal forest. This herbaceous perennial produces amber-colored edible fruit similar to the blackbe ...
jelly or fresh cloudberries.
* Slices of the cheese are cut into a cup or plate, with some cream poured on the pieces so that they soak a little, some cinnamon and sugar sprinkled over it, and grilled in the oven for a moment. Served with cloudberry jelly.
* In modern Finnish cuisine, diced leipäjuusto is often used as a mild replacement for feta in various salads.
* As a dessert, leipäjuusto can be served like Camembert, fried on a pan with butter until it softens, and served with jam, traditionally cloudberry.
See also
* Cheese curds ( North American squeaky cheese) *Fried cheese
Fried cheese is a dish of cheese that is fried in oil. Fried cheese can be dipped in a batter before frying, and can be pan-fried or deep fried. It can be served as an appetizer or a snack. Fried cheese is a common food in Brazil and the Dominic ...
* Halloumi
* List of cheeses
* Saganaki
In Greek cuisine, saganaki (Greek σαγανάκι) is any one of a variety of dishes prepared in a small frying pan, the best-known being an appetizer of fried cheese. It is commonly flambéed in North America.
Etymology
The dishes are named ...
References
{{DEFAULTSORT:Leipajuusto Finnish cheeses Cow's-milk cheeses Goat's-milk cheeses Reindeer