Danish Havarti W/Dill

Danish Havarti with dill is a semi-soft cheese flavored with dill. Plain Havarti is known for a smooth, buttery paste with a few small, irregular holes and a mild, slightly tangy finish. Dill adds a green, grassy, faintly anise-like note, usually in visible flecks of herb throughout the paste. Expect a gentle, creamy base that carries the dill rather than competing with it. The details supplied for this product don't give an age, milk type or fat content, so judge the exact texture and intensity by tasting. Serve it at cool room temperature. Take it out of the fridge 30 to 45 minutes before serving, so the butterfat softens and the herb aroma opens up. Straight from the cold, this style of cheese tastes muted and a little rubbery. Slices work well on a board, and a firm wedge can be cubed for snacking. Because the cheese melts easily, it also suits sandwiches and grilled preparations. For pairings, dill points toward smoked salmon, cucumber, boiled new potatoes, pickled beets and rye or pumpernickel bread. A slice on buttered rye with radish or cucumber is a classic open-faced sandwich. In a melt, it works with eggs, in a grilled cheese with ham or turkey, or folded into an omelet. Spreading it on crisp crackers with a little mustard also works. For drinks, choose something crisp that won't overwhelm the mild cheese. A dry, high-acid white such as Sauvignon Blanc, Grüner Veltliner or unoaked Chablis suits the herbal note. Pilsner, lager and wheat beer are good matches, as is a dry sparkling wine. For spirits, a chilled shot of aquavit, which is often caraway- or dill-flavored, is a traditional Scandinavian pairing. A gin and tonic with a cucumber garnish echoes the same green flavors. Use a standard white wine glass for wine, a tulip or pilsner glass for beer, and a small chilled glass for aquavit.