Ostkaka

Ostkaka (pronounced oost-kah-kah), ost meaning "cheese" and kaka meaning "cake" in Swedish, is known as Swedish cheesecake or Swedish curd cake. It is a Swedish sweet dessert that has its roots in two different parts of Sweden, Hälsingland and Småland, though there are some differences between ostkaka from Hälsingland resembling halloumi in texture, and the soft-grained ostkaka from Småland. Ostkaka is traditionally made with raw milk and cheese rennet. Ostaka is one of the unofficial national dishes in Sweden. Ostkaka is known nationwide in Sweden and pre-baked ostkaka can be found in grocery stores there, but ostkaka is particularly popular in the regions of Hälsingland and Småland. The world championship in ostkaka is being held in Hälsingland. In Hälsingland, it is sometimes eaten during the Midsummer celebrations and in Småland during Christmas and local potlucks. The ostkaka is crustless and commonly enjoyed tepid, paired with a cool jam, a fruit sauce or mixed berries, usually containing cloudberry (mylta) or cherries, raspberry, strawberry, or lingonberry, and poured or whipped cream or vanilla ice cream. The Hälsinge ostkaka is quite smooth, sliced and sometimes a bit squeaky. The Småland ostkaka has a grainy or lumpy texture. Despite the similarity in literal translation, ostkaka should not be confused with cheesecake. Swedes commonly refer to the latter using its English name, occasionally dubbing it "American cheesecake", to prevent misunderstanding. Nevertheless, Scandinavian restaurant menus occasionally mix up the two. Similar curd cake recipes are also found in America and Russia, typically under the name "Angel Tears" curd cake.