Norwegian Brunost (Brown Cheese) and Apples
The first time I ate brunost, or brown cheese, was when I visited Norway two years ago. The brown block of sweet, caramelized cheesy goodness, a cheese slicer, and toast was a breakfast staple. (We also had jam. Lots of jam.)
I didn't continue the practice back in the US, but reading Jude's post dedicated to the Norwegian cheese at Apple Pie, Patis, & Paté made me want to reintroduce the habit into my life. I wouldn't mind starting my day with a few thin curls of brown cheese and sliced apples.
Related: The Omnivore's 100
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13 Comments:
OMG I LOVE BRUNOST!!!! My cousins always bring some for us when they visit from Norway, and it rarely lasts long. They've always told me it's the local cheese of Stavanger. I love it. Love. It.
embolini9 at 8:44AM on 09/16/08
Gjetost is the same cheese and is available at iGourmet. I'll have to try it. I usually buy nokkelost here. Also Leyden, a Dutch cheese.
http://www.igourmet.com/shoppe/shoppe.aspx?cat=Cheese+By+Country&subcat=Norway
grampart at 9:01AM on 09/16/08
I think you can find it under the name of Gjetost (goats cheese) in the shops. I've seen it in delis as well as in supermarkets here in the UK.
I haven't tried it for many years, I think that being forced to eat it during skiing holidays in Norway whilst growing up destroyed it for me.
// Mike
http://www.freestylecookery.com
merixon at 9:02AM on 09/16/08
I love this stuff! Wegmans has it =)
onedaylingers at 9:16AM on 09/16/08
My Stavanger stepdaughter has us hooked. Those unfamiliar with it should know that it's brown because the milk is slowly cooked to caramelise the natural milk sugar, so the cheese is sweet, slightly tangy, and very dense. Just remember, though: it's Norwegian, so it should be served with bread. (Everything Norwegian seems to be served with piles of bread.)
lemons at 9:47AM on 09/16/08
Gjetost on whole grain toast -- a childhood favorite for me. All sweet and melty, preferably with a tart jam of some kind to offset the sweet sweet cheese.
jimmyjojo at 11:27AM on 09/16/08
Maybe I'm the only one but I had it when I went on a trip to Norway and it was nastiness like I had never tasted before!
Pheeel at 11:39AM on 09/16/08
This brings me straight back to childhood when my grandparents would eat it with crackers and bread. To be honest, I never realized it was cheese, but it seemed more like a spread. Interesting--I didn't like it then, but I bet I would love it now.
tawni at 11:48AM on 09/16/08
What exactly qualifies as a "breakfast apple", I thought any apple would be good for breakfast; or is it the more tart like the one in the picture?
iamon02 at 3:00PM on 09/16/08
i think its gross. ew.
seikel at 4:33PM on 09/16/08
@iamon02: I didn't mean to imply that there was any kind of breakfast apple...like you said, I think any apple is good for breakfast. :)
roboppy at 5:22PM on 09/16/08
When I saw this picture, I thought it was a chunk of solid peanut butter that you could slice. I'm a little disappointed now.
modysoul at 5:26PM on 09/16/08
@modysoul - The first time my cousin, who's deathly allergic to peanuts, saw brunost, she COMPLETELY freaked out. It was pretty funny at the time, but I guess that would be terrifying if you were allergic!
embolini9 at 12:13PM on 09/18/08