Again Trends In Sweden Black Coffee Mixed With Cheese, Not Usually But Feels Unique

Black Mixed Cheese Coffee (Photo: Oddity Central)

JAKARTA - Black coffee is usually enjoyed with additional sugar, milk, or cream. But in northern Sweden, people have a unique way to enjoy hot coffee, which is to add cheese slices into coffee cups. This tradition is known as Kaffeost, which literally means cheese coffee.

This drink uses a typical cheese called leip Marijuusto, or often called bread cheese. Although the name mentions the word bread, this food does not contain bread at all.

This cheese texture is chewy and slightly hollow. This makes it able to absorb coffee liquids such as sponges. When dip into hot coffee, pieces of cheese will absorb coffee flavors and provide a unique sensation when honed, namely warm, soft, and slightly sweet.

The leg taste itself is lighter and sweeter than the cheddar cheese or other hard cheese. Therefore, when this cheese is inserted into black coffee, the taste of the drink becomes balanced, such as mixing milk and sugar, but with an unusual chewing sensation.

Kaffeost is not just a culinary trend, but part of a long-lasting cultural tradition. The drink comes from northern Sweden and Finland, especially from the Sami community, one of the indigenous peoples of Sweden.

That said, Sami herders found this combination as a practical solution on their journey across snowy areas. Cheese helps increase sodium intake, while coffee provides warmth and energy. These two important elements become a savior in extreme climate conditions.

Now, Kaffeost is not only enjoyed by traditional people. Its popularity has begun to penetrate modern coffee shops in Scandinavia. Several new variants even use cheese from cow's milk or goats, even though the original version still uses polar deer milk.

Interestingly, last month, the European Union provided the status of 'geographically protected indications' for caffeosts. This means that only caffeosts are made in certain areas with traditional recipes that are officially recognized, similar to those owned by other European-type cheeses such as Parmesan or Roquefort.

For coffee lovers in Indonesia, Kaffeost may sound strange or even unimaginable. However, like contemporary milk coffee, which used to be considered unusual, who knows cheese coffee can be the next trend.