Jaņi cheese

„Jāņu siers” is fresh sour-milk cheese produced from milk and curds using a traditional method of preparation unchanged for centuries. The round shape and yellow colour symbolise the sun. The cheese is eaten during the summer solstice celebrations, a Latvian festival called Jāņi. The soft, well-bound, slightly elastic and homogeneous consistency and mild flavour of ‘’Jāņu siers’’ are the result of skills developed over many years.

The „Jāņu siers” cheese has been granted the entry to the EC’s Traditional Speciality Guaranteed register (TSG) of agricultural products and foodstaffs.

The TSG protects 52 guaranteed traditional specialities, among them three products from Latvia. They are: sklandrausis - a carrot bun, salinātā rudzu rupjmaize – a special type of rye bread and Jāņu siers cheese. The scheme protects traditional production methods and recipes and help consumers by giving them information concerning the specific character of the products. For a food name to be registrable under the TSG its raw materials, composition or method of production must have been consistent for a minimum of 30 years.

Today in Latvia there are six dairy companies producing the traditional “Jāņu siers” cheese that is registered as TSG. They are: „Valmieras piens”, „Rankas piens”, „Lazdonas piensaimnieks”, „Straupes piens”,  „Dundaga” and "Jaunpils dairy".