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Madison

Cheese of the Day: Ski Queen Gjetost

Interesting name with an even more interesting taste!


Ski Queen is a Norwegian full fat whey cheese that was first made in Gudbrandsdalen valley over 130 years ago. It is a traditional Norwegian brown cheese that is naturally sweet with a smooth, mild caramel taste from a blend of cow and goat's milk.

Anne Hov grew up on a family farm that produced mostly butter and was the first person to think of pouring cream into the kettle of whey. When the mass had cooked down to the right rich consistency over several hours, she scooped it into a trough. She stirred until it was cold and kneaded it with her hands, before placing it into cheese molds. Her "fat cheese" received high praise and everyone thought it tasted delicious! It got a higher price than her ordinary cheese and butter. Thus, she was known to have saved the valley from financial ruin in the 1880's!


Anne Hov bears the title as inventor of the iconic Gudbrandsdalen - but why is it called Ski Queen in the U.S? - It is very tolerant to temperature changes and is full of energy (it's a fatty cheese), making it a popular trail snack for Norwegian cross-country skiers!


Ski Queen looks and tastes quite like an oversized caramel chew. The unique sweet taste is caused by the natural caramelization of milk sugar during production. With a fudge-like texture and sweet caramel flavor, Ski Queen finishes with a strong, tangy bite.







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