A guide to Scandinavian cheese — Norway's brunost, Sweden's Västerbotten, Denmark's Havarti and Danablu, and Finland's squeaky cheese.
Scandinavia has a distinctive and sometimes surprising cheese tradition, from the sweet, caramel-colored brown cheeses of Norway to the sharp aged cheeses of Sweden and the creamy classics of Denmark. Here's a guide to the cheeses of the Nordic countries.
A Distinctive Nordic Tradition
The Nordic countries — Norway, Sweden, Denmark, Finland, and Iceland — have cheese traditions shaped by their cool climates and dairy heritage. While they include familiar styles, they also feature genuinely unusual cheeses found nowhere else, like Norway's brown whey cheese and Finland's squeaky baked cheese. Cheese is a daily food across the region, often eaten at breakfast on bread.
Norway: Brown Cheese and Jarlsberg
Norway's most distinctive cheese is brunost ("brown cheese"), a sweet, fudgy, caramel-colored whey cheese made by boiling down whey until its sugars caramelize — including the tangier goat-based gjetost. Sliced thin onto bread or waffles, it's a national staple. Norway is also home to Jarlsberg, the mild, nutty, holey cheese that has become a global export success.
Sweden: Aged and Distinctive
Sweden produces firm, often sharp cheeses. Västerbotten is a prized hard, aged, savory cheese, sometimes called the "Swedish Parmesan," central to dishes like Västerbottensost pie. Prästost ("priest cheese") and Herrgård are other traditional Swedish cheeses. Sweden also has a tradition of messmör, a soft brown whey spread related to Norway's brunost.
Denmark: Creamy Classics
Denmark is the most internationally known Nordic cheese producer. Havarti is its creamy, buttery, supple table cheese, often flavored with dill or other seasonings. Danablu (Danish Blue) is a sharp, affordable blue cheese exported worldwide. Denmark also makes Esrom (a washed-rind cheese) and various mild table cheeses.
Finland and Iceland
Finland's most charming cheese is leipäjuusto ("bread cheese"), a mild, fresh, baked cheese with a golden surface and a squeak, traditionally served warm with cloudberry jam. Iceland's dairy star is skyr — technically a strained cultured dairy product (like a thick yogurt or fresh cheese) — high in protein and central to the Icelandic diet.
How to Enjoy Scandinavian Cheese
A Nordic cheese experience might include thin slices of Norwegian brunost on crispbread, a wedge of sharp Swedish Västerbotten, creamy Danish Havarti, and warm Finnish leipäjuusto with cloudberry jam. Pair with coffee (the Nordic default), aquavit, or beer, and enjoy the contrast of sweet, sharp, and creamy.
Pairings
Scandinavian cheeses pair with coffee, aquavit, and beer, as well as with crispbread, dark bread, and berry jams like cloudberry and lingonberry. Brown cheese loves waffles and jam; sharp cheeses suit hearty breads.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is Norwegian brown cheese?
Brunost, a sweet, caramel-colored whey cheese made by boiling whey until its sugars caramelize; the goat-based version is gjetost.
What is the "Swedish Parmesan"?
Västerbotten, a prized hard, aged, savory Swedish cheese used in cooking and on its own.
What is Finnish squeaky cheese?
Leipäjuusto ("bread cheese"), a mild, baked fresh cheese that squeaks against the teeth, traditionally served warm with cloudberry jam.