Svecia

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Svecia

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Country of origin

Sweden

Region, town

Low-laying regions

Source of milk

Cows

Pasteurized

Yes

Texture

semi-hard

Aging time

2-12 months

Certification

Svecia (or Sveciaost) is a Swedish cheese. As of 2006, it was the only EU Protected designation of origin cheese from Sweden.^[1] It is a semi-hard cow's-milk cheese, with a creamy consistency, light yellow colour, small irregular holes, and a mildly acidic taste. It is produced in wax-covered cylinders weighing 12 to 15 kilograms each.

The cheese is similar to other Swedish hard cheeses whose manufacturing methods date back to perhaps the 13th century, but the name Svecia — from the Latin Suecia meaning "Sweden" — is a 20th-century invention, dating to 1920.

Svecia is produced in a fashion typical to many semi-hard cheeses. Milk is pasteurized to 72°C then cooled to around 30°. Rennet is added to coagulate the milk into curds and lactic acid enzymes are added to replace enzymes and bacteria killed during pasteurization. The curd is cut, stirred, and slowly drained, then heated back up to a temperature near 40° to drive off more moisuture. After salt is added, the curds are packed into moulds, loosely enough to leave the air pockets which make up Svecia's tiny holes. After a soak in brine, bringing the total salt content of the cheese to 1.0–1.5 percent by weight, the cheese is aged in a dry environment for at least two months — sometimes up to a year.