Overview

Junket is a milk-based dessert set with rennet, the same enzyme used to coagulate milk for cheese. It has a soft, quivering texture similar to a very delicate custard or a lightly sweetened, barely formed cheese. The flavor is mild and milky, typically sweetened and often flavored with vanilla.

Origin and history

Junket has English origins, dating back to at least the 15th century, where it was known as a dish of curds and cream [2]. The name likely derives from the Old French jonquette, meaning a rush basket used for draining curds [2]. By the 19th and early 20th centuries, junket was a common home dessert in Britain and the United States, often served to children or invalids because it was easy to digest [1]. Its popularity declined in the latter half of the 20th century as other convenience desserts became more common.

Varieties and aliases

  • Junket is sometimes called “rennet custard” or “curds and whey” in historical contexts.
  • The term “junket” can also refer to the rennet tablets or powder used to make the dessert, particularly in the United States where “Junket” is a brand name for rennet products.

Culinary uses

Junket is made by heating milk (usually with sugar and vanilla) to approximately body temperature, then stirring in dissolved rennet and allowing it to set without further disturbance [1]. The result is a very soft, spoonable curd that separates slightly from the whey. It is typically served chilled, sometimes with a dusting of nutmeg or a dollop of cream. Unlike custards set with eggs or starch, junket relies entirely on the enzymatic action of rennet for its structure.

Cross-cuisine context

Junket has no direct analogue in Mexican cuisine. The closest textural parallel might be a very soft requesón (fresh ricotta-like cheese) served sweet, but requesón is drained and firmer. In other LA-relevant cuisines, junket resembles some milk puddings like the Filipino leche flan in concept (a sweet milk dessert) but differs entirely in technique and texture, as leche flan is egg-set and dense. The Persian shir berenj (rice pudding) is starch-set and thicker. Junket’s unique rennet-set, barely solid texture is uncommon outside of European dessert traditions.

Notes for cooks

  • Junket must be set at a precise temperature (around 98°F / 37°C). Too hot and the rennet will be destroyed; too cold and it will not set [1].
  • Do not move or disturb the dish while it is setting, or the curd will break and release whey.
  • Junket tablets or liquid rennet are available at some specialty grocery stores or online. Vegetarian rennet alternatives exist but may produce a different texture.