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Successful Cheese Introduction

Started by mjr522, August 07, 2012, 02:53:18 AM

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mjr522

I lived in Norway for a couple of years.  While there I tried to appreciate the different foods and flavors.  One thing I quickly fell in love with was brunost--aka gjeitost, myost, and flottemyost.  My favorite was ekte gjeitost because it had the strongest flavor.  These are all variations of brown cheese, which is actually more of a fudge than a cheese.  I always had a block of it in the fridge.

Since returning to the States, I have occasionally purchased ski queen--brown cheese made by Norway's cheese giant (and bully), Tine.  Every time I get some, I serve it to anyone who's willing to try it.  My results have been lackluster, mostly consisting of faces of disgust, and the occasional spitting (my wife has this reaction).  Today, however, I served my department at work 2 cheeses I had made--a very mild (2 month old) cheddar and a brunost.  Almost everyone who tried them said they liked them.  In fact, people went back for more brunost!  I was thrilled.

I'd tried to make brunost before (I almost burned down the house making some once...not really, but I filled it with smoke), but this has been my most successful so far.  I wonder if this one worked better than others because I was using the whey from a 30-minute mozzarella as opposed to whey from other cheeses.  I used Ricki Carroll's recipe for myost.

Now, if I could just convince myself that gammelost is edible...

MrsKK

I fell in love with the Ski Queen Gjetost when I was a teenager.  The trick when introducing people to it is to tell them that it is sweet and fudge-like, rather than leaving them thinking that it will taste like cheese - which most people expect to be savory.  If I'm expecting a certain flavor and my tongue gets hit by something else, it revolts me, too.

mjr522

Perhaps that's why I was more successful this time--though I can't remember exactly what I have told people in the past.  I've always explained that it is usually served on bread with jam.   That surprises people, too.  "Jam with cheese?"  I explain that in Norway it's common to have jam with mild cheeses.  This time I did explain that it was a very unique taste and was more of a fudge than a cheese.  My wife, though, doesn't care how I describe it.  She just thinks its gross.  :-\