Those Danes and Their Havarti ...

This article about Havarti was prompted by a comment made by my friend Jon Blanc in Kampala, Uganda, who wished he could have some Havarti, dry salame, with a hearty, seeded baguette he used to buy at La Vie en Rose French Bakery and Cafe in Bellingham. It’s difficult for him to get good cheese in Uganda.

Well, let me tell you what I’ve learned about one of Jon’s favorite cheeses.

Havarti or Cream Havarti (Fløde Havarti in Danish) is a semi-soft Danish cow’s milk cheese. It is a table cheese that can be sliced, grilled, or melted. It is a traditional creamery cheese with a deliciously mild taste. Supposedly with age, the buttery aroma and flavor turns sharper and saltier, displaying hints of hazel nut. But I haven’t personally experienced this taste change.

Havarti History

I came across two stories on the Internet and I’m not sure how they correlate. So, I’ll throw both versions at you and if you’re really interested you can pursue your own research.



One version from http://www.ilovecheese.co.uk/ purports Hanna Nielsen as the enterprising cheesemaker credited with inventing Havarti in the mid-1800s. The wife of a New Zealand farmer, Nielsen became interested in the art of cheesemaking and traveled throughout Europe to learn techniques.



Upon her return to Denmark, Nielsen experimented with her newly acquired knowledge at her farm called Havarthigaard, in Øverød, north of Copenhagen, in the mid-19th century. Havarti, named after her farm, was one of her most successful cheeses.

On the other hand, according to http://www.gourmet-foods.com/, this cheese was partly inspired by Tilsit cheese, developed in 1870’s in Tilsit, East Prussia. In 1890 it was imported into Denmark. The product was a great export success.

Production

Havarti like most cheeses, is made by introducing rennet to milk to cause curdling. The curds are pressed into cheese molds, which are drained, and then the cheese is aged. Havarti is a washed curd cheese, which contributes to the subtle flavor of the cheese.

Havarti is an interior-ripened cheese, so after the curdling process, the cheese is pressed, cooked, divided and drained. Typically aged for three months, the ripening begins at the center of the cheese and progresses outward to the surface.

Havarti is smooth and slightly bright-surfaced with a cream to yellow color depending on type. It has very small and irregular openings ("eyes") distributed in the mass.

Today's Havarti is produced on a large scale and widely distributed throughout the world. Quality versions are also produced in the UK, Canada, and in the U.S. states of Wisconsin and New York, and by artisan cheesemakers in California.

I also found there’s a version of Havarti made in Chile. Chilarti is a Havarti-type cheese from the Los Lagos region of Chile. It’s often referred to as Queso Chango or quesomantecoso.

But they all derive from Hanne’s efforts in Denmark, ja?

Varieties

Havarti varieties range from plain to mildly sharp to aromatic. One of the most popular types is Cream Havarti, an enriched version made with extra cream. The exquisite result is a softer, more luxurious, melt-in-your-mouth feel.

More savory selections of Havarti include varieties studded with herbs, fruits, and spices such as caraway, dill, garlic, cranberry, chive, pepper, horseradish, and mustard.

I purchased three types of Denmark’s Finest®: Cream Havarti, with Dill, and one with Wild Garlic. The Cream Havarti is very subtle, mild, but not bland. I liked the dill version, which was not strong. The dill was more a pleasant aftertaste. I really enjoyed the wild garlic. It was stronger, but not at all overpowering.

Buying and Storage Tips

Havarti is widely available at most supermarkets and easy to store. As with most semi-soft cheeses, it will keep for at least two weeks stored in the least cold section of the refrigerator (usually the vegetable drawer). Once opened, carefully re-wrap Havarti with aluminum foil or plastic wrap.

Cut what you’re going to use and then tightly re-wrap and refrigerate the rest. Let the cheese come to room temperature before you eat it for optimum taste.

Serving Ideas

I had another busy day yesterday and needed an INSTANT dinner. I opened a can of Progresso Chicken pasta soup and tossed it into a sauce pan to heat, along with a pinch of dried tarragon, rosemary and a few grinds of the black pepper mill. While the soup heated, I cut the wild garlic Havarti into roughly ½” cubes and put about 6-8 cubes in the bottom of my soup bowl. I then ladled the hot soup onto the cubes in the bowl.

Instead of the cheese becoming part of the soup, like it would if I had melted it into the soup in the pan, I could eat the semi-melted cubes along with the chunks of chicken and vegetables. It was delicious! I had some leftover Italian foccacia, which I unabashedly dipped into the soup!

Havarti is simple enough to enjoy every day, especially with sandwiches, or with snacks of fruits and vegetables. It melts quite nicely and can be included in omelets, pasta and on vegetables for a pleasant change of pace. The wild garlic Havarti melted on a hot baked potato is yummiosso!

Another way to serve Havarti is to slice French bread, put a slice of Havarti on the bread slice with a little tapanade and place them under the broiler for a few minutes until the cheese melts.

Havarti also serves well as a dessert cheese, served with fruit and wine. On a cheese board, surround Creamy Havarti with pears, apples, figs, raisins and walnuts.

When paired with Sauvignon Blanc, less oak-y Chardonnay, or light-bodied Pinot Noir and Zinfandel, a smooth, mild Havarti displays enough character to please even the most distinctive of palates.

I saw a great photograph of a Ham and Havarti Scone, and another photograph of a bowl of Havarti and Broccoli Soup … I’ll have to experiment to come up with recipes. They both looked delicious, but alas, no recipe accompanied the photographs.

Martha’s recipe (see photograph to right) looks fabulous … take a peek:

www.marthastewart.com/recipe/chicken-salad-and-havarti-cheese-wraps

My point is that you may have some family favorites that you may want to try including Havarti cheese.

Vielen dank, Jon, for your comment about Havarti. I hope if you’re back in U.S. with your family this Christmas, you’ll have an opportunity to sink your teeth into some of your beloved Havarti!


Check out Jon Blanc’s African experiences and Uganda safari information at http://www.kabiza.com/ or visit him on Facebook.


http://www.laviebakery.com/ for more information about La Vie en Rose Bakery in Bellingham, WA bakery and café.