What is tykmælk and how is it made?

What is tykmælk?

Tykmælk is a traditional Danish soured milk product. The name means thick milk. Lactic acid bacteria turn the lactose in milk into lactic acid, which makes the milk tangy and thick enough to eat with a spoon. A similar product in Sweden is called filmjölk. It is similar in idea to yogurt but is a different product.

How is tykmælk made?

The Danish encyclopedia Lex describes the history: tykmælk was originally made in households through spontaneous souring, where bacteria already present turned the milk. Dairies later replaced this with controlled souring using starter cultures.

• In a dairy: pasteurized milk is cultured with lactic acid bacteria and left until it sets. Timing varies by dairy and culture, so we give no fixed hours.
• At home: modern recipes mix milk with a spoonful of cultured buttermilk or an existing tykmælk or filmjölk and keep it somewhere mildly warm until it thickens. Use fresh pasteurized milk and clean jars, and throw it out if it smells off or shows mold. We do not give exact home timings because sources disagree.

How does tykmælk taste and how do you eat it?

It tastes mildly sour and fresh. The Danish encyclopedia Lex says Nordic soured milk products are mainly eaten for breakfast or sweetened as dessert. Serve it cold, plain or with a little sugar, fruit, jam or cereal.

What can you use instead of tykmælk (tykmælk alternativ)?

For baking, use the same amount of plain yogurt or buttermilk. For eating, start with plain yogurt thinned with milk.

Where can you buy it?

It is sold in Danish supermarkets; outside Denmark it is hard to find, and Nordic shops sometimes stock filmjölk instead. Keep it refrigerated and follow the date on the pack.