Brunost or Mysost is a caramelized brown Norwegian whey cheese. Brunost (lit.'brown cheese') is the commonly-used name instead of the less-commonly used mysost (lit.'whey cheese'). It is regarded as one of Norway's most iconic foodstuffs, and is considered an important part of Norwegian gastronomical and cultural identity and heritage. 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. There are several varieties:
Fløtemysost, a type of brunost made from cow's milk
Gudbrandsdalsost, a type of brunost made from goat milk and cow milk
Geitost, a type of brunost made from whey, milk, and cream from goats
Ekte geitost (lit.'true goat cheese'), a goat cheese containing only goat milk and whey
Heidal cheese, a dark brown brunost from Heidal with a decorative pattern molded on the cheese block
Misværost [no], a very light brunost goat cheese that is browned very little, giving it a light, almost yellow color, and a very mild taste
Primost, a light brown cheese made from cow's milk which has a soft spreadable texture
Norwegian cheeses
There are also many other cheeses (non-brunost) from Norway.
Gamalost (lit.'old cheese'), a pungent traditional Norwegian cheese
Normanna, a solid blue cheese with an aromatic and powerful taste. Normanna is sliceable when it is cold, and spreadable when it is temperate
Norvegia, a cow's milk cheese similar to Gouda that has a mild taste and melts easily
Norzola [no], a blue cheese with a supple, almost buttery consistency and aromatic and full-bodied taste
Nøkkelost, a semi-hard, yellow, cow's milk cheese that is flavoured with cumin and cloves. It is made in wheels or blocks and has a maturation period of three months