Dulce de Leche
(2 of 2 Found this Helpful)
January 15, 2010
Caramelized goat's milk, cured and shaped into bricks by genuine Norwegian trolls! 'Ekte Gjetost' means literally 'genuine goat cheese', but this cheese bears little resemblance to any "chevre" you've eaten recently. It's sweet. Some people think it tastes slightly like peanut butter. As one reviewer has already declared, it has roughly the texture of buffed-up Velveeta. It's one of the prides of Norway, and by confessing that I love the stuff, I'm making a case that I myself deserve the Nobel Peace Prize, since I'm a Swede. Ja då! Alltså! Pan-Scandinavianism, shall we say? If nationalism were only expressed by touting one's local cheese rather than one's military might or religious certainty!
This 'Tine ekte gjetost' is a tastier cheese than the more widely sold Ski Queen, which blends cow and goat milk. Either one, however, needs to be somewhat fresh; you can keep them half of forever in your refrigerator, but the flavor deteriorates, especially when the cheese is exposed to air. You can judge by the color; if there are darker, duller edges, it's gotten senile. People eat gjetost most often as part of a breakfast spread. You shave thin slivers of it from the block and let it melt on your tongue, or else eat it on simple flatbread. Härlig! Var så gud ....
Had to find it!
(4 of 5 Found this Helpful)
February 12, 2004
We ate this cheese at Epcot in Norway and fell in love with it. It has a wonderful chocolately flavor that melts in your mouth. If you're looking for a new cheese to try, don't pass this one up. It's a must!
Tastier of the Two
(3 of 4 Found this Helpful)
August 2, 2007
I like both gjetosts, but my preference is for ekte gjetost, which is made from pure goat's milk rather than the cow/goat blend used in Ski Queen. Ekte gjetost is a tad funkier and is much more complex than Ski Queen, although it's similarly sweet and fudgie due to the caramelizing of the sugars in the milk during the heating process used in its manufacture (it accounts for gjetost's appealing color as well; in fact, it resembles a Kraft caramel on steroids). I'm a serious cheese afficionada and search out artisanal, raw milk cheeses (alas, so few now), so the fact that I love this commercially produced, COOKED cheese never fails to crack me up. And you know something? I found out that I'm not the only cheese snob who admits to this!
If you're not adventurous, start with Ski Queen for an entry-level gjetost. However, if your preference is for gastronomy on the edge (I do but jest--this is high-class Velveeta by any account), by all means, go for ekte gjetost. If you have a cheesemonger you patronize, ask for a taste before you commit--unlike Ski Queen, ekte gjetost is often sold sliced-to-order. And don't be afraid to offer it to the kids--its sweetness is often a hit with the under-16 set.
An ethnic specialty that some will love and some won't.
(2 of 3 Found this Helpful)
August 14, 2004
I was raised on this and love it, but over the years I've given a taste to many people, and few asked for more. Surprisingly, though, my Asian wife likes it, so you might, too. A good way to get an idea what it's like might be to look in groceries for the more common Ski Queen gjetost. It's made from a blend of cow's and goat's milks, and so is milder. Pure goat gjetost is like Ski Queen, only more so.
Five stars for my enjoyment of it.
Yumm!!
(2 of 3 Found this Helpful)
November 6, 2004
My first taste sold me on this cheese. A Danish friend
invited me for tea and served this wonderful brown cheese
on wasa. It is better than chocolate! Wonderful smooth
creamy taste that surrounds your taste buds in warmth
and richness. Enjoy!!
