Imagine a cheese that tastes like caramel. Brown in color, sweet in flavor, and unlike anything else you know from the world of cheese. That’s brunost, and in Norway, people eat it every day.
What exactly is brunost?
Brunost (literally “brown cheese”) isn’t really a cheese in the traditional sense. It’s made from whey, the liquid left over from cheese-making. That whey is simmered for hours until the sugars caramelize. The result is a firm, sliceable block with a sweet, caramel-like flavor.
The best-known variety is Gudbrandsdalen, also called geitost or gjetost. It’s made from a blend of goat’s milk and cow’s milk, which gives it a slightly sharp edge alongside the sweetness.
Curious how brunost compares to other special cheeses? Check out our article on Goudse kaas, the pride of the Dutch cheese world.
What does it taste like?
Brunost is hard to compare to anything else. Think of a cross between caramel, fudge and dulce de leche, but with the texture of cheese. It’s sweet without being overwhelmingly sweet. There’s a subtle goaty tang that keeps things interesting.
The first bite catches a lot of people off guard. It’s so different from what you’d expect from something called “cheese.” But most people are sold after two bites.
How do you eat brunost?
In Norway, brunost is a staple at breakfast and lunch. The traditional ways to serve it:
- On bread: slice it thin with a cheese plane (the cheese plane, by the way, is a Norwegian invention, designed specifically for brunost) and lay the slices on bread
- On waffles: the classic Norwegian combination. Warm waffles with jam and brunost
- On crackers: with a slice of cucumber on the side for contrast
- With game: in Norwegian cooking, brunost is also used in sauces for game dishes
The key is to cut thin slices. Brunost is intense in flavor, so a little goes a long way.
Why brunost is so special
Brunost is a product made nowhere else in the world on any significant scale. It’s so deeply woven into Norwegian culture that in 2013 a national crisis broke out when a truck loaded with brunost caught fire in a tunnel and production came to a temporary standstill.
It’s also a sustainable product. Because it’s made from whey, a by-product of cheese-making that would otherwise go to waste, it’s essentially upcycling before upcycling was a thing.
Want to try it yourself?
At Cheese In A Box we carry these cheeses, freshly cut:
Or let us surprise you with our cheese subscription, with 4 special cheeses delivered to your door every month.
Order brunost in the Netherlands
You won’t find brunost in the average Dutch supermarket. But at Cheese In A Box we carry the real Gudbrandsdalen. Imported directly and delivered to your door, so you can discover this unique Scandinavian product for yourself.
Tip: bring a block to your next cheese night and ask your guests to guess what it is. Nobody will get it right, and everyone will want more.
