Jāņi cheese

Jāņi cheese (Latvian: Jāņu siers) is a Latvian sour milk cheese, traditionally eaten on Jāņi, the Latvian celebration of the summer solstice. Nowadays the cheese has also become one of the symbols of Latvian culture.[1]

Jāņi cheese
Wheels of Jāņi cheese manufactured by "Rankas piens"
Other namesCaraway cheese (ķimeņu siers)
Country of originLatvia
Source of milkcows
Texturesoft, compact, slightly grainy and homogeneous throughout
Fat content<30%
Dimensionscylinder 4–6 cm in height and 8–30 cm in diameter
Aging timeat least 1–2 hours
CertificationTSG 2015
Named afterJāņi
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On November 16, 2015, Jāņi cheese was included in the European Council's Traditional Speciality Guaranteed (TSG) register.[2] Currently 5 manufacturers ("Valmieras piens", "Rankas piens", "Lazdonas piensaimnieks", "Straupe", and "Dundaga") fulfil the TSG criteria and can label their product as Jāņi cheese.[3]

Ingredients

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.

Making
Slices of Jāņi cheese on a plate

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 a mixture of egg, butter, salt, and caraway seeds is stirred into it. Once a solid, firm ball is formed, the cheese is placed in a cheesecloth to drain. Generally, the cheese is prepared a few days before eating, and is allowed to ripen in a cool place before consumption.[4]

References
  1. "Jāņi cheese – a symbol of Latvian identity". Public Broadcasting of Latvia. June 21, 2019. Retrieved June 22, 2019.
  2. "Traditional Midsummer cheese wins EU protection". Public Broadcasting of Latvia. November 17, 2015. Retrieved June 23, 2017.
  3. Matisone, Gunta (May 13, 2016). "How to spot authentic Midsummer cheese". Public Broadcasting of Latvia. Retrieved June 23, 2017.
  4. Linda Dumpe; Anna Šmite; Aija Golde (2004). Jāņi cheese. Riga: SO „Cheese Club”. p. 204. ISBN 9984-976-20-3.
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