Samso Cheese
Chris Borgnaes
I haven't seen any Samso cheese in years. Is it still being made? Is
there a mail order company where I can get some?
Henry Hillbrath
borg...@freenet.columbus.oh.us (Chris Borgnaes) writes:
>I haven't seen any Samso cheese in years. Is it still being made? Is
>there a mail order company where I can get some?
I see Samso every now and then, but, I am not sure just where to find it,
for sure, right off.
The best store I know of for Scandinavian Foods is in Ballard. (That is a
section of Seattle.) On Market Street. It was formerly called "Johnson's
Scandinavian Foods." Last time I was there, they had changed the name, I
think to "Olsen's Scandinavian Foods." Same owners, same staff, new name.
They do ship stuff.
Samso is a Danish cheese. According to Sandy Carr (Pocket Guide to
Cheese) it is the most common one. It isn't really that distinctive, and
there are a number of other Scandinavian cheeses that could be
substituted.
souris
Chris Borgnaes
Thanks! Having never had Samso, I couldn't have guessed it was similar to
anything else. Would Havarti do?
Henry Hillbrath
borg...@freenet.columbus.oh.us (Chris Borgnaes ) writes:
>Thanks! Having never had Samso, I couldn't have guessed it was similar to
>anything else. Would Havarti do?
It all depends on what you are looking for, I suppose. If you never had
Samso, I guess that you don't particularly miss it.
It seems a bit odd to me, but Denmark seems to have had very little
"traditional" cheese production. Odd, because Denmark is ideal dairy
country. In the mid 1800s, a lady named Hanne Nielsen decided, as a
patriotic gesture, to develop a Danish cheese industry as a means of
earning foreign exchange for the country. (Maybe there was some profit
motive, also.)
Hanne searched Europe for cheese recipes that could be reproduced in
Denmark. Havarti was her on particular contribution, named for her farm.
By 1950 (or so, I don't remember the exact date) Denmark was a major
exporter of cheese, and almost all of it was sold as "Danish Something."
Some of the cheeses were not too bad, but almost none of them had any
relationship to the "Something." There was an international conference,
the main purpose of which was to put pressure on the Danes to quit using
traditional cheese names, and they invented a whole new set of names,
Samso, Danbo, Danablu, Havarti, Esrom etc.
The story of which was which is very twisted, and mades no difference,
anyway, since, as I said, they didn't really resemble the "originals"
anyway. And, despite all that, the Danes still use traditional names,
(like "Swiss" and "Feta". I think Danish Feta is a *really* weird idea!
And, not very good, either. More like plastic than an ewes milk cheese.) at
least in the U. S.
So, if you just want to try a Danish cheese, for some reason, Havarti is
probably a good place to start. A bit bland, though some have more taste
than others. And not offensive to many people, though I have heard people
say it was too "strong." Those are people that only eat Kraft Singles, I
think. ("Jackie" is my favorite Havarti brand.) I guess that "Swiss" is
probably the closest familiar cheese to Havarti, but they are not very close.
Esrom is a Danish cheese with a bit more taste. A bit of "orange" culture
taste. Similar to Tilsit, but that is not too much help, I realize, as
Tilsit is not to familiar.
Samso is supposedly a copy of Emmental ("Switzerland Swiss.") But, there
is no reason to prefer it to real Emmental, or to Jarlsberg.
I don't care for Danish Blue (or Minn. Blue, or most Roquefort either.
Too salty. Blue cheese is *not* always like that.) But Blue Castello and
Saga are Danish versions of "Blue Brie" that are pretty nice.
That is a short synopsis of most of the Danish cheeses that you are
likely to see in the U. S.
There are some other nice cheeses from Finland, Sweden, and Norway also.
souris
Chris Borgnaes
Well, my dad's family is Danish. This is what prompted me to ask. I've had
this recipe for a long time and haven't been able to try it. Maybe I'll
try Emmenthaler. Thanks for the comparo.
Samso Soufflé - serves 8
1 cup half and half 1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup flour 1/4 teaspoon white pepper
2 tablespoons butter 4 eggs, separated
1 cup samso or tybo cheese 1/8 teaspoon cream of tartar
Butter a 1 to 1 1/2 qt soufflé dish; set aside. Combine half and half and
flour. Bring to a boil; add butter; stir over heat until thick. Stir in
cheese, salt and white pepper. Separately, beat egg yolks, stir in 1/2 cup
cheese sauce. Pour this mixture into remaining cheese sauce. Separately,
beat egg whites until frothy; add cream of tartar, continue beating until
mixture forms peaks. Fold into cheese sauce. Pour into prepared dish.
Bake in preheated 350 degree oven for 30 to 35 minutes, or until puffed
and golden.
Henry Hillbrath
borg...@freenet.columbus.oh.us (Chris Borgnaes) writes:
>Well, my dad's family is Danish. This is what prompted me to ask. I've had
>this recipe for a long time and haven't been able to try it. Maybe I'll
>try Emmenthaler. Thanks for the comparo.
>Samso Soufflé - serves 8
[snip]
Well, it wouldn't be authentic, but, I'll bet that recipe will work with
just about any kind of cheese, even cheddar, or jack.
Jarlsberg might be the best compromise.
souris
Stephen Forster
Chris Borgnaes wrote:
>
> Thanks! Having never had Samso, I couldn't have guessed it was similar to
> anything else. Would Havarti do?
better-off substituting with Danish Danbo, Tybo or even a Danish
Munster, the latter is a little stronger. If you like, a Mild Dutch
Gouda has the same strength and melting qualities as Samsoe.
Stephen
Mary Elizabeth
Aaaiieee! Havarti fondue! That was inflicted on us once upon a time by
a fanatically frugal friend (the one I posted about a while back who
lived on mulberries from the Johns Hopkins campus every summer). His
girlfriend, who cooked, left him & he wanted to keep his social life
going, so he picked up a few recipes & was delighted with the simplicity
of Fondue (he was vegetarian). But he insisted on using whatever cheese
was cheapest at the local co-op (the '60s place with the list of
boycotts posted by the door). Ever had Mozzarella fondue? I have. And
I don't recommend it. Havarti was the weirdest, but then he found that
feta was always on sale... No, he didn't inflict that on us--because we
warned him we'd send out for steak if he tried.
MEB
Stephen Forster
Chris Borgnaes wrote:
>
> Well, my dad's family is Danish. This is what prompted me to ask. I've had
> this recipe for a long time and haven't been able to try it. Maybe I'll
> try Emmenthaler. Thanks for the comparo.
>
Straight Emmenthal will not be suitable because it is a cooked-curd
cheese, and therefore draw threads when melted and make your souffle an
adventure. Samsoe is too far removed from its original "Danish
Emmenthal" roots for one to substitute for the other. In a souffle,
Swiss Gruyere works well, but if you want to stay with Danish, go to
Maribo, Elbo or even an Edam-type.
Stephen