Dairy products
tradition of curd, rennet, and aged cheeses
living tradition
Milk, curd, cheese bag, caraway seeds, drying, smoking, Džiugas, Liliputas, varškės sūris
Curd cheese, Caraway cheese, Homemade cheese
The core of Lithuanian cheese
In Lithuanian home cooking, cheese first means curd cheese. Milk sours, curd forms, it is drained, placed in a cheese bag, and pressed. According to the Universal Lithuanian Encyclopedia, curd was more liked in Aukštaitija and cheeses in Žemaitija, and two kinds of pressed cheese were made: sweet and sour; there was a custom of giving cheese to shepherds at Pentecost and eating it with honey.
Such cheese can be fresh, flavored with caraway, dried, smoked, or fried. This differs from aged rennet cheeses, but both fields matter in Lithuanian food culture.
Cheese bag and pressing
The cheese bag gives the cheese its shape and lets whey drain away. Pressing determines firmness: a shorter press gives a softer cheese, a longer press a firmer one.
Caraway seeds are one of the most recognizable additions to curd cheese, but cheese can also be made without them.
Dried, smoked, and aged
Drying and smoking help cheese keep longer and give it a different flavor. They require suitable conditions so the cheese does not mold improperly.
Aged rennet cheeses such as Džiugas or Liliputas are made with a different technology and have a protected-name context.
Cheese on the table
Curd cheese is eaten with bread, honey, sour cream, potatoes, jam, or vegetables. It can be everyday food, holiday food, or market food.
Cheese shows the dairy farm's ability to extend the life of milk: from quick-spoiling milk comes a product that keeps longer.
Recipe
How to make curd cheese
This recipe is for a simple homemade curd cheese with caraway seeds. It is eaten fresh, but may be dried briefly.
Ingredients
- 2 kg curd
- 1 l milk
- 2 eggs, if you want a firmer cheese
- 50 g butter, if you want a richer cheese
- 1.5 tsp salt
- 1 tbsp caraway seeds
Method
- Warm the milk, add the curd, and heat while stirring until the whey separates.
- Tip the mixture into a cheese bag or dense cloth and drain well.
- While still warm, mix the curd with salt, caraway seeds, eggs, and butter if using.
- Put into a cheese bag, wrap, and press for 4-8 hours.
- Cool. Eat fresh or dry briefly in a cool place.
Notes
If the cheese crumbles, the mass has too little moisture or has not bound enough.
The cheese bag must be very clean and rinsed free of scented detergents.
