Havarti is a semi-soft, mild cow's milk cheese from Denmark. It is named after the Danish farm where it was first made.

Havarti was invented by a woman named Hanne Nielsen. Nielsen was interested in cheese making and traveled to many countries. On her return to Denmark she experimented with different cheesemaking techniques. She called her best cheese Havarti, and now it's one of Denmark's most popular cheeses.

Havarti has a creamy, buttery flavor. It is similar in taste to Tilsit or Gouda though the taste is not as strong as Gouda. Its taste gets stronger as cheese ages, and young Havarti is sometimes considered kind of bland. One variety, called enriched Havarti is very creamy and strong.

The cheese is semi-soft, pale yellow in color, with small, irregular holes. Havarti melts well.

Havarti comes in different varieties. It can be made with caraway seeds, cummin, dill, or other spices. Typically, Havarti is aged for about three months.

Where to buy

Amazon.com has several different varieties of Havarti.