Europe on a whim

A Lesson A Day (courtesy of Wikipedia): Brunost is commonly divided into two types: The ones that only contain cow's cream and/or milk, and the ones that contain some proportion of goat's milk. The latter type is commonly called Geitost or Gjetost (meaning "Goat's Cheese"). Varieties that do not contain any cow's milk are called Ekte Geitost ("True Goat's Cheese"). Technically, the term "True Goat's Cheese" is misleading, since genuine goat's cheese (such as the french Chèvre) is relatively uncommon in Norway, and is commonly called Hvit geitost ("White Goat's Cheese") to avoid confusion.
By far the most popular variety is the Gudbrandsdalsost, which contains a mixture of cow and goat milk, cream and whey. In Norway it is in fact so common, that people just refer to it as "Brunost" or "Geitost", assuming that unless otherwise specified, Gudbrandsdalsost will be provided. This variety is also the most popular internationally, and in the USA it is commonly referred to just as "Gjetost". The second most popular variety is the Fløtemysost, which has a milder taste due to the lack of goat's milk. The third most popular type is the Ekte geitost.
Related to brunost are Prim (in Norwegian) or Messmör (in Swedish), which is a soft, sweet spread commonly sold in tubes all across the Nordic countries. This is the original, ancient product made by boiling whey for a shorter period of time than brunost, and not adding milk or cream. Also, in Norway, pultost is traditionally made from by-products of the brunost-making process, and has a very distinctive flavour.Read more