Brunost

Brunost, brown cheese, is one of the most Norwegian tastes there is: a dense, fudgy, caramel-coloured cheese made by boiling down whey until its milk sugars caramelise. Sliced wafer-thin with a cheese slicer, itself a Norwegian invention, over waffles, bread or crispbread, it is sweet, savoury and beloved from childhood.

What you actually see

• The brown block - the dense caramel-coloured whey cheese.
• The cheese slicer - the Norwegian tool for shaving it thin.
• On waffles - the classic pairing with heart-shaped Norwegian waffles.
• Gudbrandsdalsost - the popular version blending cow and goat whey.

When to go

Year-round; it is a shop-shelf and cafe staple, so any time. Try it thin on a warm waffle for the classic experience before judging.

Honest expectations

The sweet, caramel taste on a cheese surprises and divides visitors, so try a little before committing. It is dense and rich, best in thin slices rather than chunks. It makes a genuinely Norwegian, long-keeping souvenir, for those it wins over.

Nearby

Any cafe serves it on waffles; the food halls and markets sell blocks to take home.