Leipäjuusto

Leipäjuusto (lit. 'bread cheese') or "juustoleipä", which is also known in English as Finnish squeaky cheese, is a fresh cheese traditionally made from cow's beestings, 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 regular milk, and they lack some colour and flavour because of this. The cheese originally comes from Ostrobothnia, Northern Finland and Kainuu.

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. In Ostrobothnia, leipäjuusto is called "juustoleipä" (lit. 'cheese bread'). However, this varies as people have moved around, and both names are used while leipäjuusto is the more commonly known name for this cheese. Other dialects have various names ("narskujuusto", etc.) that refer to the way the cheese "squeaks" when being eaten.

Leipäjuusto can be eaten warm or cold.

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.

Leipäjuusto has a quite mild flavour, and fresh cheese squeaks against the teeth when bitten.

A few ways to enjoy this cheese:
* Put a few pieces in a cup, pour hot coffee on. The Swedish name "kaffeost" ("coffee cheese") refers to this.
* Serve as diamond-shaped pieces, roughly 5 to 7 cm long and a little less wide, with cloudberry jelly or fresh cloudberries.
* Cut slices of the cheese into a cup or plate, pour some cream on the pieces so that they soak a little, sprinkle some cinnamon and sugar over it and grill in the oven for a moment. Serve with cloudberry jelly.
* In modern Lappish cuisine diced leipäjuusto is often used as a mild replacement for feta in various salads.