Cheese & Coffee – A Finnish Tradition
There are certain things that go perfectly well with a cup of coffee, such as a slice of carrot cake, a piece of biscotti or a dunkable digestive. But if you’re bored of the conventional wisdom when it comes to coffee’s accompaniments, why not try a slab of Finnish cheese?
Leipajuusto (or juustoleipa as it is known in some quarters) is a traditional Finnish cheese that is typically made from cow’s beestings, though reindeer or goat’s milk may also be used. Once set, the cheese is then grilled. By being exposed to heat, the cheese takes on a mottled complexion which accounts for its English-language nickname of ‘bread cheese’.
Now, this cheese has a variety of uses. Thanks to its mild and fresh flavour profile it is commonly used to complement salads and soups, and many people opt to serve it as a dessert.
However, it isn’t out of the ordinary to get some leipajuusto cubes with your cup of coffee.
A signature of the central-eastern region of Kainuu, the cheese is cut into small cubes and added to a cup of hot coffee. The cheese melts slightly and absorbs some of the coffee’s flavour. And once you’ve finished your drink you’re then free to eat the cheese – with the aid of some cutlery.
If you’re not a fan of having blobs of cheese in your drink, you could just cut yourself a slice of the Finnish cheese and then dunk that.
After all, digestives are overrated!
We think that this practice came about due to the age-old method of drying and storing leipajuuso, which resulted in a rock hard cheese. In order to eat it without chipping your teeth, it had to be reheated – and at some point somebody dipped it into their coffee.
As they say, the rest is history.