Smaland Ostkaka
A baked curd pudding from Smaland, set with rennet and eaten warm with cream and cloudberry or lingonberry jam.
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Ostkaka is not a cheesecake in the usual sense: rennet is added to warm milk so it curdles, the curd is drained and mixed with cream, eggs, flour and almonds, and the whole is baked until just set. It comes out pale and slightly grainy, is served warm rather than chilled, and is eaten with whipped cream and jam - cloudberry in the north of the province, lingonberry or strawberry more commonly. Smaland and Halsingland both claim it and make it differently, the Halsingland version starting from a different curd. Frodinge in northern Smaland is associated with commercial production. The dish has its own day on 14 November.
What you actually see
- Milk curdled with rennet - the base, drained before baking.
- Served warm with cream and jam - cloudberry or lingonberry.
- A pale, slightly grainy set - not a smooth cheesecake.
- Two provincial versions - Smaland and Halsingland differ.
When to go
Year round; 14 November is ostkaka day. A meal.
Honest expectations
The texture surprises people expecting cheesecake. It is heavy and sweet. Restaurant versions are often bought in rather than made. Finding a homemade one takes asking locally.
Nearby
Vimmerby and Astrid Lindgren country are north; Vaxjo is west.
What to pack for Smaland Ostkaka
Chosen from what this place is for. Tap a kit for the full checklist.
Opening times, ticket prices and seasonal closures change - check the official source before you go: official site.
