When people think of Finnish food, cheese usually isn’t the first thing that comes to mind — we’re usually far more famous for our saunas, rye bread, and endless cups of coffee. But Finland actually has a surprisingly long and rich history of making cheeses at home, well before grocery store dairy aisles were a thing.
Among all of our traditional recipes, munajuusto — literally “egg cheese”— is almost certainly the most popular homemade cheese in the entire country. If you ask a local, they’ll tell you it belongs to the Häme region in southern Finland, where it’s practically a point of regional pride. But in reality, you’ll find versions of this mild, golden cheese served on holiday tables and family gatherings from one end of Finland to the other.
The magic of munajuusto is that you don’t need any special equipment or hard-to-find cultures to make it. You just need milk, eggs, buttermilk, and a little patience while physics does the heavy lifting. The result is a soft, sliceable cheese with a gentle, slightly tangy flavor that tastes incredible fresh — or baked in the oven until the top gets those lovely browned spots.
As usual, I’ve put together some tips for variations at the end of the post if you want to experiment with different flavors or herbs. But let’s start with the classic recipe first!
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