Gjetost

Gjetost, or Brunost, is a common Norwegian name for mysost – a family of cheese related foods made with whey, milk and cream. The term is often used to refer to the Gudbrandsdalsost type, which is the most popular variety of ‘brown cheese’ 

‘Brunost is primarily produced and consumed in Norway. It is regarded as one of the country’s most iconic foodstuffs, and is considered an important part of Norwegian gastronomical and cultural identity and heritage’.

The creation of the modern, Brunost is attributed to the Anna Hov who lived in the rural valley of Gudbrandsdalen. Anna Hov came up with the idea of adding cream to the whey when boiling and to boil it down until the fluid content was reduced creating a firmer, fattier cheese. The product immediately caught on, and was soon commonly produced and consumed in the area.

Gudbrandsdalen is an unusual slow cooked whey cheese made from a mixture of goat and cow’s milk. This cheese really is a “Marmite “cheese with lovers and haters of it in equal measure. It  has a distinctively sweet, caramel flavour with a slightly firm texture. Best eaten in very thin slivers with crusty bread. It is great melted on toast or waffles with chopped bananas for an alternative breakfast.