Gamalost

from Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Gamalost from Vik
trimmed Gamalost

Gamalost (also Gammalost or Gammelost ), literally translated “old cheese”, is a Norwegian sour milk - mold cheese with a specifically sharp, full-bodied taste. It can be stored for a long time without refrigeration. The taste changes over the course of storage.

It is considered an old cultural asset, the history of which goes back to the Viking Age. Historic manufacturing center is the Norwegian province of Vestland . The central and inner district of Sogn has one of the greatest production traditions. Here alpine farming was an important branch of agriculture. Since 1991 there was only one dairy in Norway that still produced Gamalost, namely in Vik , but it is now also available from another dairy.

The cheese is matured from skimmed milk curd with the Mucor mucedo mold . It should be yellow-brown in color with a yellow-white core and develop a strong, unmistakable taste and firm structure. It then contains less than 1% fat and around 50% protein.

It is believed that the name "Gamalost" (literally "old cheese") is related to the production on alpine pastures and the long aging period. But it can also come from the fact that Gamalost is one of the oldest known Norwegian cheeses.

It is being researched whether gamalost has a positive health effect. There is much to suggest that the cheese contains an active ingredient that lowers blood pressure.

"A frukost utan gamalost er som eit kyss utan kjærleik."

"Breakfast without gamalost is like a kiss without love."

- John Moberg : Risnes / Rivedalsholmen 2011: Gamalost

Manufacturing

In the past, the cheese was produced on alpine pastures or farms and required a long maturation period of several months (for example from summer to Christmas), during which it accepted mold from the storage room. It ranged from three months to a year.

Milk maids made the cheese on the mountain pastures . The actual manufacture was a labor-intensive process. First, sour milk had to be made. Large boilers were used, often with a volume of 150 liters. There were mainly two variants of production, the Hardanger and the Sogne method. In both cases, the milk was first warmed up until the quark separated from the whey. The procedures differed somewhat in terms of further treatment. When the cheese was cooked and placed in containers, the ripening process began. When the cheese was firm, it was placed on a board or shelf. This was often covered with birch bark, fern or blades of grass to get enough air under the cheese. Usually the cheese was covered with cloth and moss so that it didn't dry out too quickly. After a few days, mold began to grow on the cheese.

In today's industrial production, the culture is added and the Gamalost ripens within only 11 to 13 days (up to four weeks?).

The quark was wrapped in linen, packed in wooden boxes and straw and then stored under the bed.

history

Gamalost is said to have been known as early as the time of the Vikings . It is made from sour milk and develops a noble mold during maturation , which is repeatedly incorporated into the cheese, which gives it its special, strict taste. Its fat content is only one percent, its consistency is firm and sometimes grainy.

In the early 1980s, there were few Norwegians eating gamalost. But after the artist Erik Bye campaigned for Gamalost on a TV show in 1983, the cheese became popular again. A Norwegian Gamalost club was founded, which now has around 2000 members. Journalist John Moberg, who was Gamalost president for many years, wrote a book about Gamalost in 1987. In 1995 the first Gamalost festival was held in Vik, a cultural festival that still exists today.

Gamalost has been awarded the Olavsrose , a quality mark from the “ Norsk Kulturarv ” foundation (“Norwegian Cultural Heritage”).

Gamalost from Vik

TINE dairy in Vik

Around 1900 many smaller dairies tried to get into Gamalost production. Most failed, but one of the most successful was Brita Ligtvor from Vik. In 1909 she won a silver medal with her Gamalost at an agricultural exhibition in Bergen . "Gamalost frå Vik" has been a protected geographical indication under Norwegian law since 2006 ; Cheeses with this designation must have been made in the municipality of Vik and must not contain salt or other additives. The annual production is around 150 to 200 tons.

See also

literature

swell

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ a b Forskrift about the product name Gamalost frå Vik som beskytta geographisk name. Lovdata Foundation, accessed September 23, 2014 .

Web links

Commons : Gamalost  - collection of images, videos and audio files