You know the feeling when you are introduced to a dish, or a foodstuff, you taste it and can´t understand how you´ve lived without it until now? At the same time it´s so good you feel a bit embarrassed you hadn´t heard of it before? Well, at the weekend we became acquainted with Granstubben bark-wrapped washed-rind cheese and…O..M..G
Only produced by Gangstad, Norway´s first authorised farm cheese factory, there´s a fairly labour-intensive process to make it. The cheeses are wrapped in a layer of spruce bark then periodically scrubbed and dipped in a mould-bearing brine for almost two weeks before being packed. The bark acts as a girdle to keep the cheese in place and imparts a unique taste as does the subsequent orangey white rind that is formed by the friendly bacteria, brevibacterium linens.
To prepare for eating the cheese should be brought to room temperature, scored across the top, then baked in the oven at 170-180 degrees for about 20 mins or until you test it with a fork to check it is runny in the middle and keep checking after 10 so it doesn´t overcook! To serve, share with others as a starter, dipping in small cheese biscuits of choice. The taste is divine – oven-baked camembert go home!
Talking of home, I have just been to the local Meny supermarket which appears to be the only local place we can buy this cheese and they say the producer is unfortunately out of stock until the end of next month. This is probably a good thing though as it is neither cheap nor slimming, but aren´t all good things well worth the wait?!
Link to the producer´s website:
Wanderlust never fades 