Pultost facts for kids

Pultost is a special kind of Norwegian cheese. It's a soft cheese made from sour milk and has a unique flavor from caraway seeds. Think of it as a tangy, low-fat cheese that's been enjoyed in Norway for a very long time!

Pultost is made from skimmed milk that has been soured, much like buttermilk. This process makes it an "acid-set" cheese, meaning it becomes solid because of the acid, not rennet. It's also preserved with salt, which helps it last longer.

What is Pultost Cheese?

Pultost is a traditional Norwegian cheese known for its strong, tangy taste. It's made from milk that has been allowed to sour naturally. This gives the cheese a fresh, sharp flavor. The caraway seeds add a warm, slightly spicy touch.

How Pultost is Made

Making pultost starts with skimmed milk. This milk is soured, which means it gets thick and tangy. After it sours, the milk curds are separated. These curds are then mixed with salt and caraway seeds. The cheese is then left to mature, which helps develop its unique flavor.

Two Main Types of Pultost

You can find pultost in two main forms:

• Spreadable Pultost: This type is smooth and soft, perfect for spreading. It usually has a stronger flavor.
• Grainy Pultost: This version has a looser, drier texture with small grains. Its flavor can vary from mild to quite strong.

Enjoying Pultost

Pultost is a versatile cheese that Norwegians love to eat in different ways. It's often served as a simple, tasty snack or part of a meal.

How Norwegians Eat Pultost

One of the most common ways to enjoy pultost is by spreading it on bread. It's also delicious on traditional Norwegian flatbreads like lefse or flatbrød. Some people like to serve pultost with warm, boiled potatoes. The creamy cheese and soft potatoes make a comforting combination.

Who Makes Pultost?

In Norway, a few companies produce pultost, keeping this traditional cheese available for everyone to enjoy.

Tine Dairy Products

Tine is a big Norwegian dairy company. They make pultost at their dairy in Nybergsund, Trysil. Tine offers different types of pultost:

• Løiten: This is a soft, spreadable type.
• Hedemark: A looser, grainy type with a dry texture.
• Lillehammer: Another grainy type, but with a stronger flavor.

Synnøve Finden Cheese

Synnøve Finden is another well-known Norwegian food company. They also produce pultost. While Tine makes the initial cheese mass, Synnøve Finden processes it further. They promote two types of pultost:

• Seterost: A type of pultost.
• Hedmark: Another type, similar to Tine's Hedemark.