Gjetost doesn't resemble traditional cheese, which is usually made by coagulating milk and draining it to remove the whey. The translation of the alternative spelling, geitost, from the Norwegian, is 'goat cheese' - and who am I to argue? Also called brunost ('brown cheese'), it's made in Norway and other parts of Scandinavia by simmering whey with milk and cream for a long time - until the milk sugars caramelise. The result is moulded into blocks and, when cool, becomes hard and sliceable. The more milk and cream added, the richer the product, and it can be made of goat or cow's milk, or a mixture of the two. It's sweet-salty, intense, rich and fudge-like, and, if made with goat's milk, has a background note of goaty 'funk'.

Gjetost is extremely fattening and a little goes a long way. It's delicious cut into fine shavings (you can use a cheese slicer) and eaten on toast or crackers and in an open-faced sandwich. It's even better if you line the toast or crackers with thin slices of tart apple.