Gammelost

What is Gammelost Cheese?

Gammelost, also spelt as Gamalost or Gammalost, is a distinctive Norwegian cheese made from skimmed cow's milk. Since its production is an extremely laborious process, the cheese that was once the staple of a Norwegian diet is today not made in mass quantities. It is extremely rare to find it outside Norway. Like many other Norwegian products, such as flatbread and stockfish, Gammelost can be stored for a long duration without refrigeration.

A firm, blue-veined Gammelost cheese imparts a sharp and aromatic flavour. Ripened using Mucor, Rhizopus, and Penicillium moulds, the semi-soft crust of the cheese is brownish while the pate is brownish-yellow with a hue of blue and green. Texturally, the cheese is firm, dense, moist and usually granular. It is rich in protein with a low-fat content of 0.5 to 1.0%.

Every year, a Gamalost festival (Gamalostfestivalen) is held in Vik in Sogn at the advent of summer.