| Kalvdans | |
| Country: | Scandinavia |
| Type: | Dessert |
| Main Ingredient: | Colostrum milk, water |
Swedish: '''Kalvdans''' is a classical Scandinavian dessert. It is made from unpasteurized colostrum milk, the first milk produced by a cow after giving birth.[1]
Swedish: Kalvdans has a long tradition in Swedish cuisine. It is mentioned in the encyclopedia Swedish: Project af swensk grammatica from 1682. The encyclopedia mentions Swedish: kalvost as an alternative name.[2] The name Swedish: kalvdans refers to the jiggly pudding-like consistency of the dessert.[3] Swedish emigrants brought the tradition of Swedish: kalvdans to North America, as well. It is however rarely consumed today, as very few families keep cows of their own.[4]
In preparing the dessert, the colostrum milk is mixed with water and cautiously heated.[1] [5] Due to the high levels of protein in the colostrum milk, it coagulates and hardens when boiled (much like eggs do). Thus the dessert gets a pudding-like consistency.[6]
Due to Swedish health regulations, unpasteurized milk may only be sold directly from the farms. Thus the capacity to produce Swedish: kalvdans is somewhat limited.[6] As a consequence Swedish: kalvdans is very rarely prepared in Swedish households today.[2] In 2008 kalvdans, along with four other Swedish dishes, was included in the 'Ark of Taste' of the Slow Food movement.[7]
A related dessert is Swedish: råmjölkspannkaka (raw-milk pancake).[2] Similar desserts like Swedish: kalvdans exists in other countries. In Iceland, a pudding called Icelandic: [[ábrystir]] is made out of colostrum milk. A similar Finnish version is called Finnish: [[uunijuusto]] (oven cheese). In England colostrum milk, or beestings as it is called locally, was traditionally used for puddings. In India kharvas is a dessert made out of colostrum milk from buffaloes.[6] In Norwegian and Danish dialects, the word kalvedans sometimes refers to a type of jelly made by veal meat.[3] [8]