Lietuviškas varškės sūris Cheese 
Lietuviškas varškės sūris cheese is a soft, fresh curd cheese made in Lithuania from pasteurised cow's milk. It tastes sour and lactic, sometimes with salt, caraway or a smoky note.
Buy Lietuviškas varškės sūris Cheese online
Dubysa, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons
Key Facts
| Country of Origin | Lithuania |
| Specific Origin | Lithuania |
| Protection | PGI (2011) |
| Milk Type | Cow's milk |
| Milk Treatment | Pasteurised |
| Fat Content | 7-25% or low-fat (up to 0.5%) |
| Moisture Content | At least 31% in fresh, baked, and smoked cheeses; at least 67% in dried cheese |
| Texture | Soft, crumbly |
| Flavor | Characteristic lactic acid with hints of seasonings |
| Aroma | Characteristic lactic acid, smoky (for smoked cheese) |
| Colors | White to yellowish (fresh and dried); yellowish to brownish (baked); dark yellow to brown (smoked) |
| Forms | Fresh, Smoked, Baked, Dried |
| Rennet Type | None used |
What is Lietuviškas varškės sūris Cheese?
This soft curd cheese comes from Lithuania, where it was already made on manor estates in the Middle Ages. The equipment and the basic method have barely changed since then. In 2013 the European Commission added it to the list of protected products, the third Lithuanian product to hold that status in the European Union.
Cow's milk is soured naturally, then heated until it curdles. The pressed mass is stuffed by hand into traditional loose-woven triangular cheese bags, and the wider end is tied shut with a knot. Salt, caraway, other spices or sour cream can be worked into the curd.
The knotted bag is what gives the cheese its triangular prism shape with rounded corners. The paste is white and fairly lean, around 14 percent fat, and the pressed cheese tastes sour.
For longer keeping, the surface is sprinkled with salt or the cheese is dried. Lithuania also has a fresh milk cheese that looks similar but carries no deep tradition. It can be made straight after milking and comes out yellower, at about 20 percent fat.
The cheese is made to an authentic recipe and is part of Lithuanian culinary and national heritage.
What Does Lietuviškas Varškės Sūris Cheese Taste Like?
Lietuviškas varškės sūris cheese has a sour, lactic taste. Some versions also taste of salt or caraway, because makers can mix salt, caraway, other spices or sour cream into the curd.
The smell is lactic too. The smoked form smells and tastes smoky.
The cheese is soft and crumbly. The typical cheese is fairly lean, at around 14 percent fat.
Fat content can range from 7 to 25 percent. Low-fat versions have no more than 0.5 percent.
Substitutes for Lietuviškas Varškės Sūris Cheese
All three of these cheeses are soft or fresh. Two of them are made from cow's milk.
- Quark Cheese is also a soft cow's milk cheese. It tastes milder and slightly milky, and it smells a little like yogurt.
- Squacquerone di Romagna Cheese is a soft cow's milk cheese. Its taste can be sweet or slightly acid.
- Katiki Domokou Cheese is a fresh goat's milk cheese with a sour taste. It is spreadable, not crumbly.
Where to Buy Lietuviškas varškės sūris Cheese
Buy Lietuviškas varškės sūris Cheese online
Frequently Asked Questions
What type of cheese is Lietuviškas varškės sūris?
It is a soft, fresh curd cheese from Lithuania, made from pasteurised cow's milk without rennet. It has a sour, lactic taste and a crumbly texture. The cheese has a triangular shape with rounded corners. It is made both in industrial dairies and by hand in rural homes.
Is Lietuviškas varškės sūris sold smoked or dried?
Yes. Besides the fresh cheese, it comes smoked, baked or dried. Smoked cheese is dark yellow to brown and smells and tastes smoky. Baked cheese is yellowish to brownish, while fresh and dried cheese is white to yellowish. Drying the cheese or salting its surface helps it keep longer.
How Does Lietuviškas varškės sūris Cheese Compare?
The most relevant cheeses to compare Lietuviškas varškės sūris against.
