Author Topic: Greetings from Finland  (Read 8551 times)

Zoey

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Re: Greetings from Finland
« Reply #15 on: September 07, 2009, 07:03:03 AM »

I believe Finns didn't use rennet extracts before the german cheeses came to Finland in the 19th century. That's why traditional Finnish cheese is usually made with ingredients that coagulate without the help of rennet.

See riha's Munajuusto / egg cheese for example. This is the same thing with Leipäjuusto, which is traditionally made out of colostrum since colostrum coagulates by itself. Colostrum was actually historically called juustomaito or "cheese milk" in many parts of finland.

I'm not sure what actually qualifies as cheese, but to us Finns traditional cheese is fresh, baked with dark spots or just matted without baking, and does rarely include any added rennet.

Cheese Head

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Re: Greetings from Finland
« Reply #16 on: September 07, 2009, 11:36:53 AM »
Thanks Zoey, that helps explain things, I was wondering why so many different fresh cheeses from Finland.

riha

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Re: Greetings from Finland
« Reply #17 on: September 07, 2009, 11:40:13 AM »
Ah, we are getting to one of my favorite topics, the definition of tradition  ;D (I am a folk dance teacher by profession, so excuse me. I usually don't discuss about the tradition of cooking though.)

I had wondered about this rennet thing, since using it didn't seem to fit into the rural image of pre-independent times of Finland (we became independent in 1917). Where's that info from, I'd love to read a bit more about the history of food culture in Finland.

Even considering the late arrival of rennet, I'd still say that a recipe that people have used all over the country for over a hundred years, is traditional. It has no specific known origin or creator and it's commonly known all around Finland.

My question is, can you make leipäjuusto without rennet, or does it become something else (something else might have been considered leipäjuusto in 18th century), like uunijuusto? I think it's good to have different terms for different kinds of cheeses in modern life no matter what they were called in the olden days. Just so we don't confuse each other.

I don't think I'll be rich enough in a while to try (with 10e/l) if this is possible, but it'd be nice to know.

Some Google fun: Pics of Leipäjuusto
http://images.google.fi/images?hl=fi&client=firefox-a&rls=org.mozilla%3Aen-US%3Aofficial&um=1&sa=1&q=leip%C3%A4juusto&btnG=Kuvahaku&aq=0&oq=leip%C3%A4juu

and Uunijuusto (oven cheese)
http://images.google.fi/images?hl=fi&client=firefox-a&rls=org.mozilla%3Aen-US%3Aofficial&um=1&sa=1&q=uunijuusto&btnG=Kuvahaku&aq=f&oq=

Also, have any of you tried Juhannusjuusto (midsummer cheese?) that is cooked long enough to become red in color, like in this blog:
http://hannele78.vuodatus.net/blog/archive?&y=2008&m=06

I just found a recipe in a book and am definitely not waiting until midsummer to try this one out. Also with this cheese, all the recipes seem to call for rennet, even the ones that use colostrum.

Anyway, sorry about tradition & definition attack. Comes with the profession, I'm afraid. Can't help it. I have seen a doctor and he gave me some pills to suppress them, but they don't work very well...  :-X



Zoey

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Re: Greetings from Finland
« Reply #18 on: September 07, 2009, 12:29:19 PM »

Oh wow, where do you teach folk dancing? I used to go to some folk dancing lessons (Helsingin Pitäjän Kansantanssijat) but I'm living too far from them now, so I've had to give up dancing at least temporarily until I find a new group.

About my sources - sorry but I have little to point you to. I'm an enthusiastic collector of old cookbooks and kitchen crafts books (as they had larger scopes back then), so I've just read them and noticed what kind of recipes they include or don't include. Any books before commercial cheese making don't seem to include finnish hard (aged) cheese, even by mention or as ingredient in other recipes.

I remember reading somewhere (probably newer material) that it was forbidden in Finland to use the flesh coming from calves that were still milk-fed, so that's probably why no rennet could be produced. I understood that it's about the cruelty of butchering the calf while it's still milk-fed and a person eating that would be tainted by the cruelty.

Well, as you see, I'm obviously completely useless what comes to naming sources (hence my expression "I believe" in my last message). :)

The only thing I've found about european cheese coming to finland is discussed here:
http://www.yle.fi/java/elearning2/lesson/index.nvl?0.task=3563

I know, it's ridiculously little information, and not from a reliable source.

Also, the Q&A of museum Sarka handle this topic:
http://www.sarka.fi/kuukaudenesine.asp?yv=9&av=88&esid=2&kieli=1

This seems to be contrary to my information, since they specifically mention rennet.
However, I don't know what to believe, because my recipes for "Kehäjuusto" mentioned there don't include rennet, but are fresh buttermilk-coagulated cheeses (with or without eggs). I wonder if their information comes from Europe anyway... maybe I should contact Sarka for more information.

Maybe it's just that rennet was very rare for the above mentioned reason... Sarka mentions that the rennet was only taken from calves that had to be put off anyway... maybe for other reasons than getting meat?

About making Leipäjuusto without rennet - doesn't colostrum include the rennet enzymes by itself, so therefore it can be used in regular cheese making without rennet? Only it tastes really really different, so it's impossible to get the same taste using milk+rennet. I would try it but also don't have the financial resources. :)

Just waiting to get my cow... :)

goatherdess

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Re: Greetings from Finland
« Reply #19 on: September 10, 2009, 12:07:04 AM »
Beestings is a type of pudding cooked from colostrum, not the colostrum itself.

Recipe for beestings:
1 part sugar or honey
2 parts regular milk
4 parts colostrum
cinnamon or other spices to taste
Cook over a double boiler until it thickens (happens pretty fast).

I have also had some success just microwaving colostrum (without the milk) until it turns into a fluffy pudding.

Colostrum is high in albumen (not rennet), which is why it thickens so fast.

Having said all that - for my two cents' worth - colostrum is really yucky!  :P I don't like it at all, even with the sugar and spices. Nowdays, I just let the baby goats have it. In fact, I don't use any milk from my animals until about a month after they give birth as it takes that long for the colostrum taste to fade completely from the milk.

riha

  • Guest
Re: Greetings from Finland
« Reply #20 on: September 17, 2009, 09:45:32 PM »
Zoey, I teach all over Helsinki. All over.

Sarka website was a bit strange. It stated quite clearly that there has been rennet-cheeses and buttermilk cheeses in Finland. It'd be nice to know if there has been any cheese aging culture in Finland before modern times. They don't mention aging.

Goeatherdess, this Beestings recipe is a bit similar to Juhannusjuusto I mentioned on my earlier post. Just less cooked. I'm going to have to try that sometime.

Zoey

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Re: Greetings from Finland
« Reply #21 on: September 18, 2009, 12:37:06 PM »

I actually emailed Jaakko Rahola from "Raholan syötävät sanat", since he seems to know everything about Finnish cuisine (or cuisine in general). The email was in Finnish, and I find it a bit questionable to paste it over here, but I'll send you his response as a private message. Anyways, as a veeery short referate he seems to have collected some statistical info on rennet usage, and the ratio between rennet/non-rennet in traditional Finnish cheese recipes seems to be pointing highly towards non-rennet.

Also, I'm planning on buying the book "Ostnyland - Juusto-uusimaa" By Bengt Wallen. I believe this might give some at least regional answers. It seems this topic isn't widely discussed though.


goatherdess

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Re: Greetings from Finland
« Reply #22 on: September 18, 2009, 03:47:09 PM »
I once made a recipe for "Leipäjuusto" that called for regular milk and rennet. But this sounds very different that what you are describing.