Gjetost, Norwegian Brown Cheese
Like A Three-way Between Cheese, Caramel, and Fudge
Gjetost (yeh-toast) is a traditional brown cheese from Norway that tastes a lot like butterscotch and sticks to the roof of your mouth like peanut butter. It’s not fancy, it doesn’t have mold, and it’s not even really cheese – but It’s damned delicious.
I’m pretty sure gjetost is the weirdest “cheese” out there. I mean, it’s not even really cheese. A lot of people say American cheese isn’t really cheese, but at least that starts with cheese. Gjetost starts with whey, the leftover liquid from cheesemaking.
Whey is rich with lactose, or milk sugar. To make Gjetost, that whey is boiled until the liquid reduces and the sugars caramelize, which is where the butterscotch flavor comes from. Ricotta is also made with whey, but it’s cooked much less and retains more moisture.
“Gjetost” translates to “goat cheese” in Norwegian, so this style contains at least some goat’s milk.
Most readily available varieties such as Ski Queen, also use cow’s milk to make it creamier and soften the flavor.
I love shaving off thin slices of Gjetost and serving it with green apples, which cuts through the lip-smacking, nut butter-richness. I also love layering it onto a slice of hot toast and smothering all of it with jam, like a cheesy PB&J. I’ve heard of people melting it into fondue as well, I’ve never tried it,
but if you do, please share your sexy experience with me in the comments below.
Gjetost
What Kind of Cheese Am I? An 8-oz pasteurized semi-firm cheese made of goat’s and cow’s milk.
Where Am I From? Norway.
Three Words That Describe Me: Sweet, lip-smacking, fudgy
Fun Fact About Me: I’m also known as “brunost,” which means “brown cheese” in Norwegian.
What Do I Smell Like? Caramel and cream
What Do I Feel Like? Fresh fudge and peanut butter
What Do I Taste Like? butterscotch, milk, and almonds
Favorite Foods: Warm seeded toast, green apples, chocolate, and dried figs.
Favorite Beverages: Nutty brown ales, brandy cocktails, and port.
Where to Find Me: Cheese shops and specialty grocers, like Whole Foods and Mariano’s. Look for the Ski Queen brand.
What I’ll cost ya: About $6-8 per square