Food Encyclopedia

nökkelost

Also called Kuminost, this Norwegian cheese can be made from raw or pasteurized cow's milk and is typically ripened 3 months, though sometimes longer. The thin rind is pale to golden yellow and is sometimes covered with red wax. The smooth and supple semihard interior is ivory to pale yellow and studded with seeds and clove buds. Nökkelost has a creamy, tangy, nutty and spicy flavor that intensifies with age. The spiciness of this cheese comes from the addition of cumin seeds, cloves and/or caraway seeds, which is why Nökkelost is sometimes referred to as "clove cheese." See also cheese.