Kalvdans

Kalvdans (lit. 'calf dance') is a classical Scandinavian dessert. It is made from unpasteurized colostrum milk, the first milk produced by a cow after giving birth.^[1]

Kalvdans has a long tradition in Swedish cuisine. It is mentioned in the encyclopedia Project af swensk grammatica from 1682. The encyclopedia mentions kalvost (lit. 'calf-cheese') as an alternative name.^[2] The name kalvdans refers to the jiggly pudding-like consistency of the dessert.^[3] Swedish emigrants brought the tradition of 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 kalvdans is somewhat limited.^[6] As a consequence 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 råmjölkspannkaka (raw-milk pancake).^[2] Similar desserts like kalvdans exists in other countries. In Iceland, a pudding called ábrystir is made out of colostrum milk. A similar Finnish version is called 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]