As I said, the missing entries in my Omnivore's Hundred make me inexplicably crazy. So it's no surprise that when I just happened to sight some gjetost as I waltzed past the cheese case (Just happened, that is, not like I was scouring the shelves, moving things around to peek in corners, no, not at all) that I brought it home with me. I understand that this browned goat's milk cheese is more properly called mesost or brunost, but let's be honest: I can't pronounce it either way. What I can do is eat it.
And when I did just that, I was immediately hit with intense déjà gouté. The sweet caramelly flavor I expected, but the grainy, peanut-buttery texture and strong hit of cheesy umami was a surprise, and so evocative of something, something I couldn't place right away. It took me several cheesy, nutty mouthfuls to identify that long-lost taste: sandwich cracker filling! A really highbrow, extra-tasty version of it, sure, but slap this stuff between two Ritz crackers and tell me it doesn't taste like childhood!
Gjetost is best chilled and sliced super-thinly with a cheese slicer (hence the picture of one on the red wrapper). It's great with Ry-Vita or one of the other very thin whole grain rye crackers, or just by itself, melting on the tongue... or with thinly sliced apples. It can be quite addictive!
Hey, I made this once! It was really good and super-easy to make, and you feel very virtuous because you aren't throwing away all the whey after you make cheese. Nobody else in the family liked it though.