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Jarlsberg Cheese
About Jarlsberg Cheese
Jarlsberg is a famous Norwegian cheese, known for its distinctive sweet and nutty taste. It is a semi-soft cheese with large, round holes. Jarlsberg is versatile and can be sliced, grilled, or melted. It is often used in sandwiches, as a burger topping, or simply enjoyed on its own.
Key Facts
| Country of Origin | Norway |
| Specific Origin | No specific location |
| Milk Type | Cow's milk |
| Milk Treatment | Pasteurized |
| Fat Content | Regular: 27% (45% FDM), Lite: 16% (30% FDM) |
| Rind | Plastic-covered |
| Texture | Semihard |
| Flavor | Mild, sweet, nutty |
| Forms | Wheels, blocks, loaves, slices, mini wheels |
| Age | Three months to twelve months |
| Rennet Type | Animal |
What is Jarlsberg Cheese?
Jarlsberg is a semi-hard Norwegian cheese, crafted from pasteurized cow's milk. It originated in the mid-1800s in the Jarlsberg countship as a hybrid between Emmentaler and Gouda cheeses. Although initially unsuccessful, an improved version developed in the 1950s at the Agricultural University of Norway propelled it to become a major export of TINE Norwegian dairies.
This cheese is recognized by its mild, sweet, and nutty flavor, distinguished by large eyes much like those found in Swiss Emmentaler. These features stem from the use of Propionibacteria in its production process. Jarlsberg is produced as 22-pound wheels with a plastic-covered rind or as rindless blocks and loaves, typically aged for three months, though some varieties mature for over a year.
Jarlsberg also comes in a low-fat version known as Jarlsberg Lite. It is available sliced or, in the U.S., as mini wheels. With annual global production exceeding 27,000 tons—11,000 of which are exported mainly to the U.S., U.K., Australia, and Canada—Jarlsberg remains a versatile and popular cheese worldwide.
