Brunost
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Other information | Typically served as a sandwich, crispbread, or biscuit topping, or in sauces |
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[[Commons:Category:Brunost|Media: Brunost]] |
Brunost (lit. 'brown cheese') is a common
Brunost is primarily produced in Norway and is popular there, and has spread to South Korea.[1] It is regarded as one of Norway's most iconic foodstuffs, and is considered an important part of the country's gastronomical and cultural identity and heritage.[2]
History
Boiling down whey 10:1 to create a brown, cheesy spread (such as the Norwegian prim and Swedish messmör) has been common in the Scandinavian countries for at least 2,500 years. An archeological find from September 2016 in central Jutland has determined that a cheese residue on pottery from circa 650 B.C.E. is a type of cheese, potentially similar to brunost.[3]
However, the creation of the modern, firm, fatty brunost is commonly attributed to the milkmaid Anne Hov from the rural valley of Gudbrandsdalen. In the second half of the 19th century, Gudbrandsdalen was suffering economically due to falling profits from grain and butter sales. While working at the Valseter mountain farm near Gålå in 1863, Anne Hov (sometimes spelled Anne Haav) came up with the idea of adding cream to the whey when boiling, and to boil it down in an iron pot until the fluid content was reduced to less than 80 percent, creating a firmer, fattier, more cheese-like product. She originally called it feitost ('fat cheese'). The name later changed into fløtemysost ('cream whey cheese'). The product immediately caught on, and was soon commonly produced and consumed in the area. This variety is currently the second most popular type in Norway. In 1805, Ole Olsen Evenstad from Stor-Elvdal wrote his cheese manuscript, Om Brug af Myse og dens Indkogning til Myssmør, but Evenstad does not mention goat's milk or cream as an additive.[4]
When Hov married and moved to Rusthågå farm in Nord-Fron, she started larger-scale production and invented a variety where she added goat's milk to the mix for a more pronounced taste. The local trader Ole Kongsli liked it so much he thought there might be a market for the product in the capital, Oslo. He started exporting it to his business contacts in Oslo under the name Gudbrandsdalsost ('Gudbrand Valley Cheese'), and it became so successful that it contributed significantly to the economy of the region, thus helping Gudbrandsdalen out of recession. In 1933, at age 87, Hov received the King's Medal of Merit (Kongens fortjenstmedalje) for her contributions to Norwegian cuisine and economy.[5]
In modern times, the world's largest producer of brunost is the Norwegian
Description
Mysost is a family of cheese-related foods made with
Production
Brunost is made by boiling a mixture of milk, cream, and whey carefully for several hours so that the water evaporates. The heat turns the milk sugars into caramel, which gives the cheese its characteristic brown colour and sweetness. It is ready for consumption as soon as it is packed and refrigerated. Low-fat varieties are made by increasing the proportion of whey to milk and cream.
Varieties
In Norway, brunost is commonly divided into two types: those that contain only cow's cream and/or milk, and the ones that contain some proportion of goat's milk. The latter type is commonly called geitost or gjetost ('goat cheese'). Varieties that do not contain any cow's milk are called ekte geitost ('true goat cheese'). Technically, the name 'true
By far the most popular variety is Gudbrandsdalsost, which contains a mixture of cow and goat milk, cream, and whey. Heidal cheese is a type of Gudbrandsdalsost. In Norway it is so common that it is simply referred to as brunost or geitost, assuming that unless otherwise specified, Gudbrandsdalsost will be provided. This variety is also the most popular internationally, and in the US it is commonly referred to just as gjetost. The second most popular variety is fløtemysost, which has a milder taste due to the lack of goat's milk. The third most popular type is ekte geitost.
Related to brunost are prim (in Norwegian) or messmör (in Swedish), which is a soft, sweet spread commonly sold in tubes all across the Nordic countries. This is the original, ancient product made by boiling whey for a shorter period of time than brunost, and not adding milk or cream. Also, in Norway, pultost is traditionally made from byproducts of the brunost-making process, and has a very distinctive flavour.
Very similar to full cow's milk brunost, but unrelated to it (probably developed independently) is requeijão moreno, from the state of Minas Gerais in Brazil. It is produced in a similar way, by boiling cow's milk until it caramelises and darkens to a brown colour, hence the name moreno 'tanned, brown'. Requeijão has three varieties: branco 'white', de raspa 'with scrapes' (because of the streaks of caramelised milk scraped from the pan), and moreno. The flavour and texture of the latter have a remarkable resemblance to brunost.[citation needed]
Use
Brunost is mostly used as a topping for
Nutrition
To what extent brunost is healthy has been the subject of some controversy in Norway.
On the other hand, the (natural) sugar content of brunost is quite high, and also the fat content is significant, causing some to warn against it, and even likening it to milk chocolate.[15] Some tests have shown major nutritional differences between different varieties of brunost.[16] Also, it has been pointed out by nutrition experts that the fat content of most brunost is significantly lower than in numerous other cheeses, such as soft cheeses.[11]
Brattli tunnel fire
In January 2013, a
References
- ^ Kessel, Dag (5 May 2021). "Sør-Korea: – Ja, vi elsker brunost". NRK (in Norwegian Bokmål). Archived from the original on 6 May 2021. Retrieved 5 May 2021.
- ^ Johansen, Signe (24 January 2013). "Brunost: the Norwegian cheese that's a hot topic". The Guardian.
- ^ Beck, Mikkel Andreas (14 September 2016). "Burnt cheese casts light on 3,000 year-old family drama". ScienceNordic.
- ISBN 9788299243025.
- ^ Neverdal, Geir. "Gudbrandsdalsosten og Anne Hov". Otta2000.com (in Norwegian Bokmål).
- ^ "Ost" (in Norwegian Bokmål). Tine.
- ^ "Slow Food Foundation: Sognefjord Artisanal Geitost". Slow Food Foundation for Biodiversity. Retrieved 15 July 2021.
- ^ Dunbar-Curran, Terri (26 April 2012). "Whey to go: Choose cheese". Cape Times. Archived from the original on 5 May 2012.
- ^ "Dette visste du ikke om brunosten". Visit Norway (in Norwegian). Retrieved 13 December 2023.
- ^ Dalseg, Elisabeth (1 March 2014). "Ti ting du kan bruke brunosten til (minst)". DinSide (in Norwegian). Retrieved 13 December 2023.
- ^ a b Førsund, Silje Karine; Ruud Engen, Tone (25 February 2014). "Ekspertenes dom over brunosten". KK (in Norwegian Bokmål).
- eISSN 0807-7096.
- ^ "Test av brunost: Ikke bare usunt". Aftenposten (in Norwegian Bokmål). 30 June 2017. Retrieved 13 December 2023.
I 2001 sluttet man å berike brunost med jern fordi en del av befolkningen tar opp for mye jern i kroppen (hemokromatose). | For noen år siden fikk produsentene lov til å tilsette jern til prim beregnet for barn, og nå nylig kom det en brunost for barn og ungdom (Junior) som også er beriket med jern.
[In 2001, brunost stopped being fortified with iron because a percentage of the population absorbs too much iron (hemochromatosis). A few years ago, manufacturers were allowed to add iron to prim intended for children, and recently a brown cheese for children and adolescents (Junior) was introduced that is also fortified with iron.] - ^ "Inneholder brunost jern og jod?". melk.no (in Norwegian). Retrieved 13 December 2023.
- ^ Bjørner, Ole; Welde, Loe; Andersen, Ulf André (15 August 2003). "Advarer mot brunost". Dagbladet (in Norwegian Bokmål). Archived from the original on 8 October 2010.
- ^ Arsky, Gunn Helene (4 March 2011). "Sunne og usunne brunoster: Vi har testet 18 brunoster - det ernæringsmessige spriket er stort". Dagbladet (in Norwegian Bokmål).
- ^ "Norway goat cheese fire closes tunnel". BBC News Europe. 22 January 2013.
- ^ Coleman, Korva (23 January 2013). "Burning Cheese Closes Norwegian Road For Days". NPR.
Further reading
- Espelund, Arne (1998). Brunosten, historien til et godt næringsemne gjennom 300 år (in Norwegian). Trondheim: Arketype. ISBN 82-992430-2-5.
External links
- Preben S. Ottesen, "Brunost", Store norske leksikon(in Norwegian)