{{Use dmy dates|date=December 2019}} {{short description|Danish creamy semi-soft cow's milk cheese}} {{Infobox Cheese | name = Havarti | image = | othernames = cream havarti, flødehavarti | country = Denmark | region = Hovedstaden | town = Øverød | source = Cow | pasteurised = | texture = Semi-soft | fat = 38 | protein = | dimensions = | weight = | aging = 3 months | certification = ''Havarti'' '''PGI''' (Oct. 2019)<ref name=cphpost>{{cite news |author=Christian W |title=Havarti cheese can now only be produced in Denmark |url=http://cphpost.dk/news/havarti-cheese-can-now-only-be-produced-in-denmark.html |work=Online Post |location=Copenhagen |date=25 October 2019 |access-date=27 October 2019}}</ref> }}
'''Havarti''' ({{IPA|da|hæˈvɑːtsʰi}}) or '''cream Havarti''' ({{langx|da|flødehavarti}}) is a semisoft Danish cow's milk cheese. It can be sliced, grilled, or melted.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.cheesemonthclub.com/danish-havarti|title=Danish Havarti|website=www.cheesemonthclub.com|language=en-US|access-date=2018-07-27}}</ref>
== History == Havarti was previously called "Danish Tilsiter" after the German cheese type tilsiter.<ref name="Shift">{{cite journal |last=Burchardt |first=Jørgen |date=March 2019 |title=A 150-Year Shift In Cheese Tastes: Social, Economic And Cultural Dimensions Of Danish Cheeses |url=https://www.researchgate.net/publication/332079858 |journal=Conference: Food, Heritage and Community. An Inclusive Interdisciplinary Conference. A Food and Drink in the 21st Century Project |access-date=17 July 2021 |via=ResearchGate}}</ref> Danish production began in 1921.<ref name="FVS">{{cite web |title=Varespecifikation Havarti |url=https://www.foedevarestyrelsen.dk/Media/638206919135372279/Varespecifikation%20Havarti.pdf |website=Foedevarestyrelsen |access-date=2 August 2021}}</ref> In 1952, the cheese was named Havarti, after Havartigården near Holte, where the Danish cheese pioneer Hanne Nielsen worked in the 19th century.<ref name="KD">{{cite news |last1=Høeg Lammers |first1=Anders |title=Klassiske danske oste stammer fra udlandet |url=https://www.kristeligt-dagblad.dk/bagsiden/klassiske-danske-oste-stammer-fra-udlandet |access-date=2 August 2021 |work=Kristeligt Dagblad |date=4 May 2020}}</ref> Among other cheeses, Nielsen created a Tilsit cheese with caraway for King Christian IX of Denmark.<ref name="Shift" />
Some sources, such as ''The Oxford Companion to Cheese'', say that Nielsen invented Havarti cheese,<ref>{{cite book|author=Catherine W. Donnelly|title=The Oxford Companion to Cheese|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=qRg1DQAAQBAJ&pg=PA346|year=2016|publisher=Oxford University Press|isbn=978-0-19-933088-1|page=346}}</ref><ref>{{cite book|author1=Martin Hintz|author2=Pam Percy|title=Wisconsin Cheese: A Cookbook and Guide to the Cheeses of Wisconsin|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=waPVq7au8NsC&pg=PA229|date=26 February 2008|publisher=Rowman & Littlefield|isbn=978-0-7627-5196-9|page=229}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.cheesemarketnews.com/articlearch/cheese/29dec17.html |title=Cheese of the Month - December 2017 |last=Archwamety |first=Rena |date=December 2017 |website=Cheese Market News |access-date=August 1, 2021}}</ref> while the ''Dansk Biografisk Leksikon'' states that the current Havarti is not based on her cheesemaking.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://biografiskleksikon.lex.dk/Hanne_Nielsen |title=Hanne Nielsen |website=Dansk Biografisk Leksikon |date=18 July 2011 |access-date=August 1, 2021}}</ref>
The original Havarti cheese is different from ''flødehavarti'' ("cream Havarti"),<ref name=Perishable>{{cite news |author=Consortium for Common Food Names |date=24 October 2019 |title=CCFN: Major Cheese-Producing Nations Stand Firm Against EU Geographical Indications |url=https://www.perishablenews.com/deli/ccfn-major-cheese-producing-nations-stand-firm-against-eu-geographical-indications/ |work=Perishable News |location=Washington, D.C. |access-date=28 October 2019}}</ref> which is made from flash pasteurized milk, so that the whey proteins that would otherwise be eliminated during production remain in the curd. This raises yields, but alters the taste and texture. Cream Havarti usually ripens very little, since the remaining whey proteins cause problems (off-taste, odd appearance) during prolonged ripening.{{fact|date=July 2021}}
== Description == Havarti is made, like most cheeses, 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 was traditionally a smear-ripened cheese, but modern ''flødehavarti'' is not.<ref name=Perishable/> Havarti is a washed-curd cheese, which contributes to the subtle flavor of the cheese. Havarti is an interior-ripened cheese that is rindless, smooth, and slightly bright-surfaced with a cream to yellow color depending on type. It has very small and irregular openings called eyes distributed throughout.
Havarti has a buttery aroma and can be somewhat sharp in the stronger varieties, much like Swiss-type cheeses. The taste is buttery, from somewhat to very sweet, and slightly acidic, similar in taste to mozzarella. It is typically aged about three months, though when the cheese is older, it becomes more salty and tastes like hazelnut. When left at room temperature, the cheese tends to soften quickly.{{fact|date=July 2021}}
Flavored variants of Havarti are available.
==Production== In 2013, 18,900 metric tons were produced in Denmark.<ref name=Perishable/> As of 2019, 17,000 metric tons are produced annually in Denmark, of which 3,000 to 4,000 metric tons are consumed domestically.<ref name=cphpost/> In 2015, 17,700 metric tons were produced in Wisconsin and 7,400 in Canada. In 2018, Wisconsin produced 18,400 metric tons and Canada 7,500 metric tons.<ref name=Perishable/>
Less than half of the world production is made in Denmark.<ref name=Sydney>{{cite news |last=Harris |first=Rob |date=25 October 2019 |title=Cheese blue: Australia joins fightback over EU's Havarti protection |url=https://www.smh.com.au/politics/federal/cheese-blue-australia-joins-fightback-over-eu-s-havarti-protection-20191025-p5348d.html |work=Sydney Morning Herald |access-date=28 October 2019}}</ref> Other major producers in the EU are Germany and Spain.<ref name=cphpost/> Internationally, the main producers are the United States and Canada, with other producing countries including Finland, Poland, France, Australia and New Zealand.<ref name=Perishable/><ref name=Sydney/> In the United States, the main producing state by far is Wisconsin, with other producing states being California, Illinois, Iowa, Michigan, Minnesota, New York, Ohio, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Vermont and Washington.<ref name=Perishable/> The Danish multinational Arla Foods produces the cheese for the American market in Wisconsin from milk produced in Wisconsin.<ref name=Perishable/><ref name=Sydney/>
Havarti is one of twelve cheeses whose characteristics and manufacturing standards are registered in the ''Codex Alimentarius'' as of 2019.<ref name=Perishable/>
==Consumption== It has become a staple foodstuff in Denmark.<ref name=Sydney/>
==Nutrition== For one slice weighing 28 g:
*Food energy: {{convert|120|kcal|kJ|abbr=off|order=flip}} *Protein: 6.0 g *Carbohydrate: 0.0 g *Total fat: 11.0 g *Fiber: 0.0 g *Calcium: 150 mg
==Controversy== In October 2019, the EU granted exclusive Protected Geographical Indication (PGI) rights to Denmark after four years of lobbying by the Danish industry. It may now only be produced from Danish milk and at approved dairies for it to be sold in the EU and countries with which it has signed a trade agreement recognising EU PGI rules on cheese (specifically South Korea).<ref name=cphpost/><ref name=Sydney/><ref name=CCFNrisk>{{cite web |url=http://www.commonfoodnames.com/the-issue/names-at-risk/ |title=Names at Risk |author=<!--Not stated--> |publisher=CCFN – Consortium for Common Food Names |access-date=28 October 2019}}</ref> There was vehement opposition and pressure from the United States against recognition;<ref>{{cite news |last=Lewis |first=Sara |date=23 October 2019 |title=Havarti cheese officially recognised as protected geographical indication in the EU |url=https://iegpolicy.agribusinessintelligence.informa.com/PL221939/Havarti-cheese-officially-recognised-as-protected-geographical-indication-in-the-EU |work=Agribusiness Intelligence - IEG Policy (Informa PLC) |location=London |access-date=28 October 2019 |archive-date=28 October 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191028142916/https://iegpolicy.agribusinessintelligence.informa.com/PL221939/Havarti-cheese-officially-recognised-as-protected-geographical-indication-in-the-EU |url-status=dead }}</ref><ref name=AgribusiIntelMarch>{{cite news |last=Horseman |first=Chris |date=27 March 2019 |title=EU set to trigger new row over GIs with registration of Havarti cheese |url=https://iegpolicy.agribusinessintelligence.informa.com/PL219727/EU-set-to-trigger-new-row-over-GIs-with-registration-of-Havarti-cheese |work=Agribusiness Intelligence - IEG Policy (Informa PLC) |location=London |access-date=28 October 2019 |archive-date=28 October 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191028142915/https://iegpolicy.agribusinessintelligence.informa.com/PL219727/EU-set-to-trigger-new-row-over-GIs-with-registration-of-Havarti-cheese |url-status=dead }}</ref> the EU was earlier compelled to postpone the planned PGI status for fear that it might be deemed too provocative amidst indications of political backlash from the US.<ref name=AgribusiIntelMarch/><ref>{{cite news |last=Horseman |first=Chris |date=11 April 2019 |title=EU postpones Havarti PGI plans amid US trade tensions |url=https://iegpolicy.agribusinessintelligence.informa.com/PL219889/EU-postpones-Havarti-PGI-plans-amid-US-trade-tensions |work=Agribusiness Intelligence - IEG Policy (Informa PLC) |location=London |access-date=28 October 2019 |archive-date=28 October 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191028142914/https://iegpolicy.agribusinessintelligence.informa.com/PL219889/EU-postpones-Havarti-PGI-plans-amid-US-trade-tensions |url-status=dead }}</ref>
The Consortium for Common Food Names (CCFN), an industry alliance based in Virginia, United States, representing exporting interests founded by the US Dairy Export Council to fight EU geographical indication guidelines<ref name=CCFNrisk/><ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.commonfoodnames.com/about-us/ |title=About Us |author=<!--Not stated--> |publisher=CCFN – Consortium for Common Food Names |access-date=28 October 2019}}</ref><ref>{{cite report |author=Shawna Morris |author2=Thomas Lividini |date=2018 |title=Comments by the U.S. Consortium for Common Food Names (CCFN) and the US Dairy Export Council (USDEC) regarding proposed amendments to the European Union Geographical Indications Legislation on Foodstuffs (Regulation (EU) No 1151/2012 on quality schemes for agricultural products and foodstuffs |url=https://ec.europa.eu/info/law/better-regulation/feedback/14095/attachment/090166e5bd3db5c2_it |publisher=Consortium for Common Food Names and the US Dairy Export Council |page=1-4 |access-date=28 October 2019}}</ref> expressed outrage over the 2019 EU decision to reserve the name for Denmark, claiming the PGI status is not "legitimate intellectual property protection, but instead for barely concealed protectionism for economic gain". The United States, Australia, New Zealand, Uruguay and Argentina have joined with the CCFN to overturn the decision.<ref name=cphpost/><ref name=Sydney/> The CCFN has claimed that Havarti is a generic cheese,<ref name=Perishable/><ref>{{cite news |last=Hosking |first=Mike |date=28 October 2019 |title=Dairy industry up in arms over EU's plans for Havarti cheese |url=https://www.newstalkzb.co.nz/on-air/mike-hosking-breakfast/audio/shawna-morris-havarti-cheese-latest-food-name-eu-wants-to-control/ |work=Newstalk ZB |access-date=28 October 2019}}</ref> and that the EU is trying to "egregiously ... monopolise global trade" in this and many other traditional European products, and is disregarding "established international standards".<ref name=Perishable/> The CCFN demands that EU PGIs be amended to include the name of the region where it is produced, such that only the name "Danish Havarti" is protected,<ref name=Perishable/><ref name=Sydney/><ref name=CCFNrisk/> a proposal to which Danish producers are amenable. Danish producers contend it is domestically well known as a Danish cheese and knowledge of the cheese outside Denmark is "extremely limited".<ref name=Sydney/> The CCFN urged the Trump administration to sanction the EU for its "abuses".<ref name=Perishable/>
==See also== * Tilsit * List of cheeses
==References== {{Reflist}}
{{Danish cheeses}}
Category:Danish cheeses Category:Cow's-milk cheeses Category:Cheese with eyes