Name protection adds value and protects two types of Finnish bread cheese

In the Best local to your tables (Parasta paikallista pöytiin) project, the regions of Kainuu and Northern Ostrobothnia collaborate to strengthen the food sector, increase information dissemination, promote cross-regional cooperation, and enhance international growth.

One of the aims of the project is to ensure that food sector companies, restaurants, professional kitchens, and retail operators can effectively utilize the opportunities of the Oulu2026 European Capital of Culture year and to ensure that food ingredients and products from Northern Ostrobothnia and Kainuu are included in the selection of professional kitchens and stores.

European Union schemes to protect the names of certain foods protect products from misuse and raise awareness

The three European Union schemes of geographical indications (GIs) and traditional specialities, known as Protected Designation of Origin (PDO), Protected Geographical Indication (PGI), and Traditional Speciality Guaranteed (TSG), promote and protect the names of agricultural products and foodstuffs.

The EU's quality policy and GIs promote the diversity of agricultural production, protect product names from misuse and imitation and inform consumers about the specific nature of the products. For consumers, the GIs are a guarantee that the origin and production method of a product are known. Producers and entrepreneurs can use the label for marketing and sales purposes.

The Best local to your tables project in involved in applying for a PGI for two types of Finnish bread cheese, also known as squeaky cheese. Bread cheese is particularly traditional in two geographical areas: the Kainuu region, where the cheese is called “juustoleipä”, and the Ostrobothnia region, where it is called “leipäjuusto”. The protection of both cheeses is based on their reputation, which is essentially linked to their geographical origin. Therefore, the two PGIs are applied for by the geographical areas as “Pohjalainen leipäjuusto” and “Kainuun juustoleipä/Kainuulainen juustoleipä”.

Bread cheese is an oven-baked soft cheese made from pasteurised Finnish cow's, goat's or reindeer's milk. There are dark spots on the surface of the cheese. It is round or rectangular and flat. It can be sold whole, halved or cut into smaller pieces or cubes.

The PGI for "Pohjalainen leipäjuusto" has been applied by ProAgria Oulu ry and the Rural Women's Advisory Organization of Oulu. The PGI for "Kainuun juustoleipä/Kainuulainen juustoleipä" has been applied by ProAgria Itä-Suomi ry and the Rural Women's Advisory Organization of Eastern Finland.

Bread cheese recipe

Ingredients (8 servings):

4 litres of whole milk

1 tablespoon of salt

1 tablespoon of cheese rennet 

Steps to make it:

• Measure the milk and salt into a saucepan. Heat the milk to lukewarm (~36 °C). Remove the pan from the heat and stir the rennet into the milk. Cover the pan with a lid and let it stand in a warm place for about half an hour, until the milk has curdled.
• Break up the curdled mass by cutting it with a knife or mixing it with a balloon whisk. Wait about 10–15 minutes or until the yellowish whey appears on the surface of the pan.
• Line a large colander with moistened gauze or cheesecloth. Place the colander on top of a bowl. Pour the curds into the cheesecloth and press. When all the curds are in the colander, turn the ends of the cheesecloth over the cheese mass. Squeeze as much liquid out of the cheese as possible.
  
• Cover the cheese with a plate and let it drain in the colander over a bowl until the next day. Pour the cheese into a rimmed ovenproof dish and remove the cheesecloth. Bake the cheese in the oven at 275 °C on the grill setting for 5–10 minutes until brown spots appear on the top.
  
• Serve the bread cheese with cloudberry jam.
  

Recipe originally from: Kotitekoinen leipäjuusto | Reseptit | Yhteishyvä (yhteishyva.fi)