Why is brunost brown?

Milk sugars caramelize as whey boils

Brown cheese made from goat milk

What happened in a Norwegian tunnel in 2013?

A truck of brown cheese burned for days

Brunost Quiz: Norway's Brown Cheese From Caramelized Whey

This brunost quiz slices into Norway's sweet brown cheese. Play 10 interactive questions on boiling down whey, caramelized milk sugars, Gudbrandsdalsost made from cow and goat milk, pure goat geitost, Anne Hov's 1800s idea of adding cream, the Norwegian cheese slicer, eating it on waffles and bread, and the tunnel fire fueled by brown cheese.

Start Brunost Quiz

🎯 Daily Trivia Challenge • 🧠 10 Questions • ⏱️ 150 Seconds

Question 1 / 10 Time: 150s

Country
Which country is brunost from?
Base
What is brunost made from?
Color
Why is brunost brown?
Taste
What does brunost taste like?
Type
Which popular variety mixes cow and goat milk?
Goat
What is geitost?
Cream
Who is credited with adding cream in the 1800s?
Slicer
Which tool is used to slice brunost?
Eat
On what is brunost often eaten?
Fire
What happened in a Norwegian tunnel in 2013?

Explanations: answer key for all 10 questions

Q1: Which country is brunost from?
Answer: Norway
Its name means brown cheese.
Q2: What is brunost made from?
Answer: Whey
Whey is left over from cheese making.
Q3: Why is brunost brown?
Answer: Milk sugars caramelize as whey boils
Long boiling darkens it.
Q4: What does brunost taste like?
Answer: Sweet and caramel-like
Many compare it to fudge.
Q5: Which popular variety mixes cow and goat milk?
Answer: Gudbrandsdalsost
It is named after a valley.
Q6: What is geitost?
Answer: Brown cheese made from goat milk
Ekte geitost is pure goat.
Q7: Who is credited with adding cream in the 1800s?
Answer: Anne Hov
It made the cheese richer.
Q8: Which tool is used to slice brunost?
Answer: A cheese slicer
A Norwegian invented it.
Q9: On what is brunost often eaten?
Answer: Waffles and bread
It melts slightly on warm waffles.
Q10: What happened in a Norwegian tunnel in 2013?
Answer: A truck of brown cheese burned for days
The sugar and fat burned fiercely.

Caramelized Whey in a Block

Brunost, meaning brown cheese, is a Norwegian cheese made by boiling whey, left over from cheese making, until the water evaporates and the milk sugars caramelize. The result is a sweet, fudge-like block with a caramel flavor.

Gudbrandsdalsost, named after a valley, mixes cow and goat milk and is the most popular. Geitost is made from goat milk. In the 1800s, dairymaid Anne Hov is credited with adding cream, making the cheese richer and more popular.

Norwegians slice it thinly with a cheese slicer, invented by a Norwegian, and eat it on bread and warm waffles. In 2013 a truck carrying brown cheese caught fire in a tunnel, and the sugary, fatty cheese burned for days.

What This Quiz Teaches

Cheese fans will enjoy these questions.

What brunost is
Why it is brown
Which varieties exist
Who changed the recipe
How it is eaten

Did You Know?

Some cooks melt it into sauces.
Hikers pack it on trips.
It keeps well for weeks.
Its texture is smooth and dense.
Visitors often find it surprising.