The Scandinavian food scene emerged on the global food stage when Rene Redzepi of Noma in Copenhagen captured the worlds imagination with his interpretation of Scandinavian food & ingredients. Coming into autumn/winter the ‘hygge’ culture is more relevant than ever.
Whilst we often identify with classic Scandinavian fare of cured fish, meats, foraged produce and it’s fascinating chef culture, it has also opened up the opportunity for a new generation of artisan cheese makers. At the World Cheese Awards in Spain 2016 Norway produced the winning cheese, Kraftkar, made by Tingvollost - so it would seem fitting that Norway is hosting the World Cheese Awards this November in Bergen. Patricia has been asked to be a guest judge this year and will be heading north on the 1st of November. Patricia has promised to write a piece on her findings of the Scandinavian cheese alongside the fascinating food & culture scene of Bergen.
SCANDINAVIAN CHEESE
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ALMNÄS TEGEL
ALMNÄS BRUK, VÄTTERN LAKE, HJO
UNPASTEURISED • TRADITIONAL RENNET
The square shape of the Almnäs Tegel cheese alludes the bricks the farm used to build the manor house, dating from 1750. The footprint on the cheese refers to footprints that local children made on the bricks, running over them as they dried in the sun. The cattle feed on organic pastures, producing cheese similar to Gruyere – being a cooked pressed cheese – with maturing taking place in the farm's cellars for a minimum of one year. Once the cheeses arrive to us we age it for an additional six months to a year, encouraging the full depth of flavour to emerge.
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GEITOST
SOGNEFJORD
UNPASTEURISED • TRADITIONAL RENNET
Artisan Geitost has been made on mountain farms in Norway for about 500 years. Today there are only a few true handmade producers remaining. The 'brown' cheese is made from the whey drained out of curdled milk (like Ricotta), with cream added and then cooked on low heat for eight to ten hours. The cheese turns brown due to the lactose sugar, which caramelises under the right circumstances. Pressed into square moulds, the sweet cheese is then thinly sliced and traditionally served on bread. Unique and indelible.
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WRÅNGEBÄCKSOST
ALMNÄS BRUK, VÄTTERN LAKE, HJO
UNPASTEURISED • TRADITIONAL RENNET
After a forty-seven-year gap in production, the cheesemakers at Almnäs Bruk enlisted their former dairyman Hans Stiller (now 82 years old) – who had personally stopped making the cheese in 1961 – to restart production. They found the old planks once used to mature the cheeses and were able to resurrect the bacteria stored deeply in the wood, ostensibly erasing the half-century of dormancy. The flavours are rich and fruity and complex, with a unique sourness, while the aroma, due to the maturation on the boards, has a delicate farminess. Great with beer or Jura-style white wines, this cheese is very friendly for pairing.
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