Leipäjuusto

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Leipäjuusto (lit. 'bread cheese'), which is also known in English as Finnish squeaky cheese or juustoleipä, is a fresh cheese traditionally made from cow's beestings, rich milk from a cow that has recently calved. 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. 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.) for it 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. This isn't exactly a prepared delicacy, but one good way to enjoy leipäjuusto made available at coffee table.
• Serve as diamond-shaped pieces, roughly 5 to 7cm 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.