Jarlsberg cheese facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Jarlsberg
Country of origin	Norway
Region	Jarlsberg
Source of milk	Cows
Texture	Semi-soft

Jarlsberg is a delicious, mild cheese that comes from Norway. It's made from cow's milk. This cheese is famous for its large, round holes, which are often called "eyes."

Jarlsberg cheese first came from a place in Norway called Jarlsberg. Today, it's also made in other countries like Ireland and the US. It's a type of cheese that is very similar to Swiss cheese.

What Jarlsberg Cheese Looks Like

Jarlsberg cheese has a special look and taste. It has a yellow, waxy outer layer called a rind. Inside, the cheese is a soft yellow color. The texture is semi-firm, meaning it's not too hard or too soft.

Taste and Texture

This cheese is known for being mild and buttery. People often say it tastes "clean and rich." It also has a slightly sweet and nutty flavor. Jarlsberg is a great all-around cheese. You can use it for cooking or just eat it as a snack.

The cheese has a smooth, shiny-yellow body. It feels creamy and soft when you eat it.

The Famous Holes (Eyes)

One of the most special things about Jarlsberg cheese is its holes. These holes are called "eyes." They are usually medium to large in size. These holes are made by tiny living things called bacteria. A specific type of bacteria, Propionibacterium freudenreichii, causes these holes to form. This bacteria is naturally found in milk. It is added to the cheese during the making process. The exact way this is done is a secret!

How Jarlsberg Cheese Is Made

Jarlsberg cheese is aged for at least three months. This aging process helps it get its unique flavor and texture. Some types of Jarlsberg are aged even longer. They can be aged for 9, 12, or even 15 months.

The cheese is usually made in big, round shapes called wheels. Each wheel weighs about 10 kilograms (22 pounds). They are about 330 millimeters (13 inches) wide. The height of a cheese wheel is usually between 95 to 105 millimeters (3.7 to 4.1 inches).

The History of Jarlsberg Cheese

The story of Jarlsberg cheese goes back a long time. It started in the mid-1850s in Norway.

Early Beginnings

A farmer named Anders Larsen Bakke was a pioneer in Norway's dairy industry. He made cheese in a village called Våle. This village was in a county known as Jarlsberg and Larviks Amt. This area is now called Vestfold. It is about 80 kilometers (50 miles) south of Oslo.

The cheese made by Bakke was similar to Emmental cheese. Swiss cheesemakers had brought Emmental cheese to Vestfold in the 1830s. The first official mention of Jarlsberg cheese was in a county report in 1855. After being popular for some years, this early version of Jarlsberg cheese disappeared.

Modern Jarlsberg Development

The Jarlsberg cheese we know today was created much later. It was developed in 1956 by Ole Martin Ystgaard. He worked at the Dairy Institute at the Agricultural University of Norway. Ystgaard became interested in the old cheese from Vestfold. He read a student's paper about it.

The cheese was named after a Norwegian nobleman, Count Wedel Jarlsberg. He owned land near Oslo where an older version of the cheese was made. The modern recipe was created using ideas from Swiss cheesemakers who moved to Norway a long time ago.

Making and Selling Jarlsberg

The name "Jarlsberg" is a trademark. This means it's a special name that belongs to a company. It was first registered by Tine SA in 1972. The exact way Jarlsberg cheese is made is a trade secret. This means the recipe and process are kept private.

Main Producer

The biggest company that makes Jarlsberg cheese is Tine SA. Tine is the largest group of dairy farms in Norway. Jarlsberg cheese is very important to Tine. It makes up 80% of all the products Tine sells to other countries.

Tine has a company in the United States called Norseland. By 2004, Norseland had sold 150 million Jarlsberg cheese wheels in the U.S.

Where Jarlsberg Is Sold

Jarlsberg cheese first came to the United States in 1964. In 1965, about 25 million pounds (11 million kg) were brought into the U.S. Since 1979, the amount imported has been limited to 15 million pounds (6.8 million kg).

As of 2004, Jarlsberg was the most popular imported cheese in the U.S. Some Jarlsberg cheese is also made in Ohio, in the U.S. It is also produced in Ireland by a company called Dairygold.

Jarlsberg cheese is also very popular in other countries. In the United Kingdom, sales were £6.9 million in 2013. It is also well-liked in Australia. In Norway, Jarlsberg is even used as the cheese topping on the Grandiosa. This is the best-selling frozen pizza in Norway!