Umami from an Agricultural Nation

Most traditional Danish cheeses are semi-soft or hard cheeses that are matured from a few months up to several years. Danish Blue (Danablu) is a highly valued, soft blue cheese with large amounts of glutamate. It is often used in the traditional kitchen to adjust the umami of brown gravy based on a stock made from meat, bones, and vegetables. The traditional Danish dairy industry is currently experiencing a revival, led by a vanguard of small dairies that experiment with new cheese products based on organic and in some cases biodynamic milk. Some producers using raw milk have now challenged the long tradition of using only pasteurized milk. Gouda-type cheeses like Lagret Høost and Vesterhavsost deserve special mention, as well as the new gastronomic series of raw milk cheeses, Arla Unika.