gjetost from Norway

Oh, the lengths I will go to for food…

I first discovered this cheese in Norway for my birthday trip in 2008, where they just call it “brown cheese”. My couchsurfing host, Terje, cooked a traditional Norwegian breakfast for us and brought out this unusual cheese on the side. I took an immediate liking to the texture and flavour but haven’t eaten it since, until I sourced some today in a goat’s milk version at St. Lawrence Market and bought a half a kilo block (that was the only size left). There are all of two ingredients: whey and goat’s milk whey.

two ingredients

It’s a firm cheese with a very unique flavour, both salty and sweet, and a colour like peanut butter. I would say it’s an acquired taste — most people would love it or hate it. It’s not a strong flavour, but it’s distinct.

My thing with food is that it’s a powerful memory trigger. I associate food with people, places, or moments in time. Thankfully, I have no allergies and haven’t found any food that particularly disagrees with me, so my food associations are usually linked to travel and nearly always positive.

the Norwegian postcard's a nice touch, ja?

After I bought the cheese at St. Lawrence Market I opened it up on the streetcar home — because I’m impatient that way! — and didn’t have any utensils, so I poked at it through the plastic with my finger until I could pick out chunks. I’m sure there were people on the streetcar wondering what on earth I was doing digging at this block of brown stuff.

Eating it immediately brought back memories of driving around Norway, because Terje gave me the rest of his brunost for the road. I ate so much of it I nearly made myself ill, but I find it quite addictive!

gjetost from Norway

It’s funny because all the stuff I gathered for these photos are actually from Norway, but the tea towel and the wooden spoon weren’t acquired on my trip, they’re gifts from my catsitter’s friend who lives in Norway and visiting Toronto. As you can see, the moose features quite prominently!

gjetost from Norway

From Gourmet-Food.com:

Gjetost is the cheese that is traditional in a Norwegian breakfast and this sweet red-orange gourmet cheese does have a presence.

Gjetost is made from the whey, milk and goat’s milk that is heated very slowly until the water has evaporated and the milk sugar forms a kind of brown caramelized paste. At this stage milk or cream may be added to change the fat content of the finished product.

Produced in squares this cheese has no rind, the texture may be hard or soft and it has an unmistakable sweet, almost fudgy, caramel taste. It is best served in wafer thin slices or curls with fresh fruit or crunchy vegetables.