🧀 Danbo

Danbo is a Danish matured firm cheese made only from cow's milk, flat and square or rectangular. Its name is protected in the EU as a geographical indication (PGI), so the cheese must be made and ripened in Denmark. The specification calls it one of the most typical Danish cheeses.

Appearance and taste. The rind is firm with a smear and may be coated. The paste ranges from whitish to light yellow, soft and supple yet easy to cut, with round pea-sized eyes, mostly up to 10 mm. The taste is mild, slightly acidic and aromatic; with age the smell and taste become more pronounced.

How it is made. After cutting the curd, large amounts of water are added and scalding finishes at a relatively low temperature, which keeps the cheese moist and soft. After salting, Brevibacterium linens grows on the rind: for the first 7–10 days the cheese is kept at 18–20 °C and humidity close to the dew point. The specification calls this «the Danish method»; the cheese gains its typical taste and texture after 3–4 weeks of ripening at 12–20 °C.

History. In 1889 Rasmus Nielsen became manager of the Kirkeby dairy on Funen, and in 1897, with a state grant, he studied cheesemaking in East Prussia and Holland. Back home he created a new square cheese with a smear rind. After the Second World War, as Denmark began exporting, the cheese was named Danbo: «Dan» for the Danes, «bo» for resident. In 1952 it became one of 10 Danish cheeses named under the Stresa Convention.

Why it matters to you. If fat in dry matter is between 30 and 45%, the fat content must appear in the name, for example «Danbo 30+». Caraway may be added, and then this is stated in the name too. Genuine Danbo is Danish only.