Cheese

Raw or Unpasteurized – any difference?

Raw or unpasteurized, that’s really the question. Every now and then it creates some fuzziness when I talk about raw milk rather than unpasteurized milk. I try to be consequent in using the noun raw milk, but by all means you will sure find unpasteurized used somewhere in here. I will try to explain the difference and why I prefer to call it raw milk. I must admit, though I think this is a Norwegian thing, people getting confused by the difference. Raw milk in Norwegian is “rå melk”, (almost the same) but we have a word raw milk in one word; “råmelk” which means Colostrum. That’s the reason why I think most Norwegians describe raw milk or cheese as unpasteurized. And when the general public describe something as from raw milk they usually use the wrong word; i.e. colostrum. Enough of that. In case you’re not quite into Colostrum, it is the first milk a mammal has after having given birth. Cows, goats and humans alike.

raw or unpasteurized
Louis Pasteur at the town square of Arbois, Jura. A picture you would not expect here, but just for now..

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Fontina Alpeggio – a real mountain cheese

Way up the Aosta valley in north western Italy you’ll find the the original area where the cheese Fontina hails from. The best Fontina is still made there during some short summer months and is called Alpeggio. This is important because it identifies the cheese as a real mountain cheese, small scale made, as Fontina may be produced industrially elsewhere as well. The latter is “just another cheese”. But, almost as far as you can get up the Aosta valley, by the foothills of Mont Blanc, happy cows are grazing fresh grass and herbs during the summer months, providing the raw milk that goes into the cheese. Early fall it is time for the transhumance to the lowlands where their return is duly celebrated.

Fontina
A sense of freedom to graze up among the highest peaks of Europe!

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Gamle Oslo Delikatesse – a gem in Oslo

This has got to be the smallest deli in Oslo, even the smallest shop altogether. Above the entrance there is a sign telling GOD, which you may interpret the way you want, in Norwegian god means good. The explanation is however clearly outlined right beneath. There is something WYSIWYG over this shop. Or rather what you see is what there is. No backroom, no basement. A cooler, shelves, a work bench with some cupboards underneath and a sink. That’s it.

Gamle oslo delikatesse, a small but very good deli
Gamle Oslo Delikatesse – small but excellent.

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Camembert and real Camembert

So they’ve finally agreed. Those fighting fiercely to keep Camembert de Normandie as is, and those, ie the industry, fighting to soften the rules. The latter also wanted to be included in the PDO (AOP) protection. What happened, then? Well, the industry had it their way. More or less. Fabriqué en Normandie will disappear and they can all make Camembert de Normandie AOP. They reached an agreement at a meeting on February 21st this year. But this is not the whole story.

Denne varianten av Camembert forsvinner fra markedet.
This variety, Fabriqué en Normandie, will disappear.

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