Cheese of the week: Gjetost

Name: Gjetost or Brunost

Place of Purchase: Wheatsfield Co-Op at 413 Douglas in Ames, Iowa

Country of Origin: Norway (another Tine Brand cheese)

Price in Iowa: $5.99 for an 8oz. block

Milk: cow and goat

Processing: Boiled a lot. Goat's and cow's milk is boiled to remove most of the whey, caramelizing the milk sugars. Then, in the brand I bought, cream is added back to enhance the creaminess. This is the cheese equivalent of "fudge."

Texture: soft

Color: nutty brown, close to peanut butter

Rind: rindless

Aroma: very mild dairy (cream) and caramel

Taste: Cream cheese and chevre cheese, with sweet and slightly nutty notes

Mouth feel: Creamy, dense, smooth as cream cheese

Notes: I loved this cheese. I'd call it a dessert cheese, but I could imagine it would be great for breakfast as well. It's not very spreadable, but if you slice it thinly and put it on warm, buttered toast you won't be sorry. It did scare off a few people, though. I don't know if it was the color or the dairy smell (which isn't that strong), two of my friends tried it and left the rest for the rest of us.

Have you've ever been to the State Fair and bought a half a pound of fudge? You want to finish it, but you can't. You try sharing it with your siblings, but even then you barely finish the dense treat. Gjetost is denser than fudge. It's nowhere near as sweet, but I shared it with a room of 5 and we didn't finish it all. Just remember, slice it thin, and serve it with crisp crackers or crisp apples. Man, we paired it with butter crackers and gala apples, and THAT was amazing. But, at the end of the night, I still went home with some cheese.

So, I bought some apples and finished it the next day.

Gjetost Cheese