Havarti Cheese

Who doesn’t love cheese, especially Havarti cheese! Whether a kid or an older person, everybody loves it. When it comes to cheese no one can resist. Its huge variety, tempting aroma, relishing looks and the delicious taste- what else is needed to rejuvenate your sense organs?

The History

Havarti is basically a Scandinavian preparation. It was first made in Denmark by Hanne Nielsen who was just trying her hand in making a new type of cheese recipe. She did this experiment in a farm called Havarthigaard. From the farm’s name itself the cheese was named “Havarti”.

Creating Havarti

This cheese is made just like most other cheeses. Introducing rennet to the milk causes curdling. Once the curdling process is over the preparation of interior-ripened cheese goes through the following steps:

•           The cheese is pressed after curdling into cheese moulds

•           Then, the pressed cheese is cooked for a while

•           After that, it is divided and drained

•           After the ripening process the product comes out as thin rind cheese

•           At the end, it needs to be washed a couple of times to obtain the final havarti cheese

Havarti is a semi-soft product which can be sliced, grilled and melted. It’s so mild that it gets soft even in the normal room temperature. It has got a buttery smell and this creamy cheese tastes sweet to very sweet at times. It is also a bit acidic. Havarti cheese which is usually aged about three months becomes more salty with time. At that time it almost tastes like hazel nut. It is available in different flavors as well like garlic, coconut, red pepper and many others. Depending on the type it is usually creamy white or yellow in color. Havarti cheese blends with herbs nicely. It is not that expensive either. Havarti is interior-ripened and very smooth. Its slightly bright-surface has very small and irregular holes all over it.

The original Havarti is quite different from cream havarti. The later one is made out of high-pasteurized milk. The whey proteins here don’t eliminate during the production. It remains in the curd. But it changes the taste and the texture. Cream havarti does not ripen that much as the remaining whey proteins create problems like off-taste and odd appearance in case of long ripening.

It has got the ability to enhance the value of your dishes. It has got good nutritious value for which it is preferred by all the cheese-lovers who considers health as their primary concern. It can be used in a number of dishes like baked havarti chicken and havarti-feta cheese ball. It can even be served with regular items like salad and vegetables, sandwiches, pasta, omelets and so on. Havarti cheese is also a good combination for desserts, and can also be dished up with fruits and wine.