Cheese of the World - Part Four Havarti

Let's see . . . I've catered to the cheese whims of both my husband and my daughter, now it's my turn. :-)

Although I never seem to be without a brick of cheddar cheese in my fridge, my all time favourite cheese is Havarti. I love the smell, I love the look, and I really love the way it tastes with Black Forest Ham in a sandwich.

Havarti was created in the 1800s by a Danish woman named Hanne Nielsen. She travelled extensively throughout Europe, learning the art of cheese making. When she returned to Demark, she began experimenting. Havarti, named after her farm, was one of the results of her experiments.

This pale, semi-soft cheese is made from cow's milk and can be recognized by the smooth surface and very small, irregular holes in it. It's a mild cheese with a buttery aroma and can be somewhat sweet, slightly acidic in taste. As it ages the taste will become saltier.

As with most cheese, Havarti is made by introducing rennet to mile to cause curdling. The curds are pressed into cheese molds, drained, and then the cheese is aged for three months. It is often produced with additional seasonings such as dill or other herbs, spices, jalapeño peppers, or caraway seeds.

It's a versatile cheese that melts easily which makes it great for pizza or pasta dishes. It also slices easily for use on sandwiches. Because of its mild flavour, it's popular as a desert cheese to be served with fruit and wine.

You can make your own Havarti Cheese, but it's not quite as simple as last week's goat cheese. And I also have to wonder how cost efficient it would be, especially when you factor in the equipment costs. However, for anyone who's keen on such things, I found a couple of sets of easy to follow instructions

From Culture Cheese magazine we have Homemade Havarti. It gives you an equipment list as well as an ingredients list, plus step by step instructions.

Another recipe to try is from eHow.com, How to Make Havarti Cheese. Just be sure to expand the ingredients list where it says: Show (5) More.

RECIPES

Havarti Mac n Cheese
Baked Havarti Chicken
Chicken Salad and Havarti Cheese Wrap
Havarti Cheese Ball
Easy Scalloped Potatoes With Ham and Havarti
Bacon Wrapped Havarti Cheese Dill Pickle Hot Dog
Steak and Havarti Panini
Pasta with havarti and basil

You can find several different brands of Havarti cheese at the deli counter of your local grocery store, or wherever fine cheese is sold.

If you're in Canada, you can buy Havarti cheese online at Springbank Cheese Co.