Jāņi cheese
Jāņi cheese | |
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Other names | Caraway cheese, John's cheese, Jāņu siers |
Country of origin | Latvia |
Source of milk | Cows |
Fat content | <30% |
Dimensions | cylinder 4–6 cm in height and 8–30 cm in diameter |
Certification | TSG 2015 |
Named after | Jāņi, John the Baptist |
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Jāņi cheese (lit. John's cheese; Latvian: Jāņu siers) is a Latvian sour milk cheese, traditionally eaten on Jāņi, the Latvian celebration of the summer solstice.
Its basic ingredients are raw quark (Latvian: biezpiens) and fresh milk, but other products may be used as well. Traditionally, caraway seeds are added during cooking as a spice.
The cheese is made by heating whole milk, adding quark, and then cooking the mixture until fluffy curds separate from a clear whey. The whey is discarded when the cheese mass reaches a temperature of 72–77 °C (162–171 °F). At this point, the curds are placed into a skillet or cooking pan, and stirred with a traditional mixture of egg, butter, salt, and caraway seeds. Once a solid, firm ball is formed, the cheese is placed in a muslin or cheese cloth to drain. Generally, the cheese is prepared a few days before eaten, and is allowed to ripen in a cool place before consumption.[1]
References
External links
- Jāņi cheese recipe (in English)