Vasterbotten Cheese
A hard cow's cheese made only in Burtrask since 1872, matured over a year, and nobody can quite say why it works.
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The cheese was first made at Burtrask dairy in 1872, and the story attached is that a dairymaid was distracted, interrupted the stirring repeatedly and produced something unintended. It has been made in the same village ever since and only there: attempts to reproduce it at other dairies from the same recipe and the same milk have not given the same result, and the reason has never been fully explained, which the producer leaves as part of the mystique. It is hard, granular, matured at least fourteen months, sharp and slightly bitter with crystalline texture. Vasterbottenpaj, a savoury tart made with it, is standard at Swedish crayfish parties in August.
What you actually see
- Made only at Burtrask - since 1872, nowhere else.
- Matured at least fourteen months - hard, granular, sharp.
- An unexplained local factor - reproduction elsewhere has failed.
- Vasterbottenpaj - the tart eaten at crayfish parties.
When to go
Year round; August is when it appears on every table. A shop visit.
Honest expectations
The dairy is a working plant with limited visitor access. Burtrask is a small village with little else. The cheese is expensive. The taste is sharp and not universally liked.
Nearby
Skelleftea is north-east; the Bothnian coast is beyond.
What to pack for Vasterbotten Cheese
Chosen from what this place is for. Tap a kit for the full checklist.
Opening times, ticket prices and seasonal closures change - check the official source before you go: official site.
