Where In The World You'll Find Reindeer Cheese In Your Coffee

Scandinavians love their coffee. In fact, when it comes to which countries consume the most coffee, Finland, Sweden, and Norway, come in second, third, and fourth, behind only the Netherlands. So, it's no surprise then that they would want to get creative with their cups of joe. But an ordinary pumpkin spice latte would hardly do the trick. Instead, Scandinavians enhance their favorite brew with a regional specialty — reindeer cheese — for a beverage they call kaffeost. It's one way to give your coffee a little extra chew.

Kaffeost, or coffee cheese in Swedish, is made by placing reindeer cheese at the bottom of a cup. The coffee is than poured or dripped over the cheese. After the cheese softens, drinkers either spoon the cheese up while drinking the coffee, or save it as a creamy delicious way to finish the cup. The mug used for kaffeost is special, too: a burled hand-carved birchwood cup called a guksi in Swedish.

Reindeer cheese is a type of cheese that's usually made from, no surprise, reindeer milk. Also called bread cheese, juustoleipä, or leipäjuusto, the cheese has been described as being similar to halloumi (not to be confused with paneer), a Middle Eastern cheese with a smooth, rubbery, or squeaky texture. Similar cheese is made in the United States but with goat or cow milk. The process involves curdling the milk, baking, and drying it. The texture allows it to be eaten like bread that can be slathered with jam, and the cheese can last for a year or so.

Scandinavians aren't the ones that enjoy cheese in their coffee and other hot beverages. People in Colombia, Panama, and Puerto Rico often enjoy similar brews. The Colombian version of cafe con queso is made with cloves, cinnamon, and queso blanco. The cheese is also combined with hot chocolate in drinks known as chocolate Santafereño or chocolate completo. Puerto Ricans describing their versions of cafe con queso on TikTok and Reddit often keep it simple by adding a cube or slice of cheddar or other cheese into black coffee. 

Another popular new beverage combines cheese with a favorite morning beverage — tea. Known as cheese foam tea, the drink was created by street vendors in Taiwan who whipped together cream cheese, heavy cream, milk, and salt, and served it over cold tea. The drink's popularity spread throughout Asia, and now home baristas in the U.S. too have been combining it with hot and iced coffees for an even richer version of airy, creamy cold foam.

Adding cheese to your coffee isn't far off from other ways people add some richness to their brew. People often swear by drinking coffee with butter or coating their favorite mug with peanut butter. "But first, coffee" may be a common expression in the U.S., but in Scandinavia a lot of people are likely saying, "but first, cheese."