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Gjetost {Cheese Tasting Notes}


I completed failed at trying 52 different cheeses last year...remember my ill-conceived Formaggio Fridays of 2013?! Oh, well. And I knew better than to set myself up for that again this year. But as I try cheeses I find unique and tasty, I'll share them with you, dear readers.

And this - Gjetost from Norway - is a cheese not to be missed. I had previously gotten it a specialty cheese shop in town. I was tickled to find it at our local Whole Foods for less than half the price.


I had my Culinary Adventurers taste it during our global cheese tasting. The kids dubbed it 'caramel cheese.' I'd go so far as to call it salted caramel cheese.

Gjetost (pronounced YAY-toast) is made by cooking a mixture of milk, cream, and whey very slowly. The heat transforms the milk sugar into caramel. The texture of gjetost is smooth and firm and a little sticky - not unlike a real caramel. Due to its sweetness, I usually serve it on a dessert cheese tray. Today I served it with slices of apple and a fresh baguette. Kinda like a caramel apple. It was a hit.

Have you ever tried Gjetost? What did you think?

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