GJETOST CHEESE

Aside from the 2 feet of snow that falls each winter, I love Wisconsin.  It was where my dad was born and raised, and where I completed my undergrad.  So, there were plenty of opportunities for me to indulge in the states most prized possession. Aka, cheese. 

 

 

Wisconsinites love cheese so much they incorporate it into their curriculums.  I took a class during my undergrad entitled “Foods”, which is pretty vague and all-encompassing.  During this class we experimented with cooking methods, perfected our plating presentation techniques, and utilized different spices while cooking.  They told us they wanted us to be well-rounded individuals in regards to food.  I thought well-rounded would mean creating and eating authentic dishes from countries thousands of miles away.  Which is why I was surprised, (well, not entirely) when they told me we’d be taste testing 28 kinds of cheese during one of our class periods.   

We tasted all the typicals.  Mozzarella, cheddar, muenster, provolone, pepperjack, brie.  They had the unpleasant limburger cheese and a few other kinds I would only make my future children eat if they swore or shoved the neighbor kid.   But during this particular taste test I was introduced to, and fell in love with, gjetost cheese. 

It’s basically caramel flavored cheese (which is why I like it so much)!  It looks like a block of caramel and is dark brown in appearance.  It’s one of the harder cheeses and can be paired with anything you would dunk in caramel, like pears or apples.  I’ve even heard it’s good on raisin toast.  Me, I like it plain.

Gjetost is not particularly easy to find.  Every time I go into a new grocery store I run to the dairy section and hungrily browse the cheese selections.  Eyes wide, my head bobs all over the place as I scan the deep refrigerator case.  And then… nothing.  My chin sinks to my chest as I walk away in despair.  No yummy gjetost here.  Guess I’ll keep looking. 

But I found it this past weekend!  Doesn’t help that it was in New York at a specialty market in Grand Central Station, but I still found it!  This cheese is higher in saturated fat and much higher in carbohydrates than other cheeses (Diabetics, be aware of this. 1 ounce has about 12 grams).  But that doesn’t mean it cannot be savored every once in a while.  It has a decent amount of calcium and protein, so you’ll still be reaping those benefits.    

Please do me a favor.  If you go to the grocery store and find this cheese (you’ll probably find it in a red package), first buy some and give it a try.  Then, let me know where you found it so I don’t have to travel back to NYC to get more!