Appears in
Oxford Companion to Sugar and Sweets

By Darra Goldstein

Published 2015

  • About

junket is a dish of curdled milk with a soft-set texture and mild flavor, sweetened as a dessert. The milk is usually “turned” or “set” with rennet, although other agents can be used, including various plant juices, lemon juice, and buttermilk. In the United States it is made from packaged mixes that contain the rennet, sweeteners, and flavors such as strawberry or chocolate. In Britain, it is made with liquid rennet and sugar, and is sometimes flavored with vanilla or brandy or sprinkled with grated nutmeg or powdered cinnamon; clotted cream may be served on top. In Spain, a version traditionally made from ewe’s milk is sold in small pots as cuajada; it is eaten with honey and walnuts. Icelandic skyr is also a junket-type product made with rennet combined with bacterial cultures similar to those used for yogurt.