Norwegian brunost isn't cheese in the usual sense — it's whey cooked down until the milk sugars caramelize into a firm, fudgy, sweet-salty brown block you shave paper-thin over waffles or dark bread. Nobody makes it in the US, so this shelf is the independent shops that import the genuine Norwegian article — blended Ski Queen and the sharper all-goat Ekte.
Published July 2026 · Updated 7 Jul 2026
An independent Wisconsin farmer-owned dairy co-op whose online cheese store ships imported Ski Queen Gjetost, the most common blended brunost. Packed with a cooler in warm weather. A farmer co-op is a fitting place to buy it, even though the cheese itself crosses the Atlantic. Ships nationwide.
Why it isn't on AmazonSki Queen is the standard Norwegian brown cheese; buying it through a farmer co-op keeps your money with an independent dairy rather than a grocery chain.
See it at Westby Cooperative Creamery →The Minneapolis Scandinavian marketplace, family-run since 1921, carries both the all-goat Ekte Gjetost — sharper, tangier, more caramel — and the milder blended Ski Queen, plus Nordic cheeses like Nøkkelost. The place to taste the goaty end of brunost. Ships nationwide.
Why it isn't on AmazonThe 100% goat Ekte is the connoisseur's brown cheese and genuinely hard to find; a specialist Scandinavian shop is one of the few US sources.
See it at Ingebretsen's →A Fort Lauderdale Scandinavian shop founded by a Norwegian chef, carrying brunost/gjetost alongside a full Nordic catalog of fish, preserves, and crispbread. Ships nationwide with cold packing for perishables. Handy for one Nordic order.
Why it isn't on AmazonA Norwegian chef stocks brown cheese because it's home food to him — and pairing it with his crispbread and preserves in one shipment is how it's meant to be eaten.
See it at Willy's Products →This seat's open on purpose — we won't pad the list to hit a number. If you ship real brunost & brown cheese direct, it's earned, not sold.
Add your brand →Brunost ('brown cheese,' also called gjetost or mysost) is made by slowly boiling down whey — the liquid left over from making regular cheese — until the milk sugars caramelize, then cooling it into a firm block. Technically it's a whey product rather than a true rennet cheese, but it's eaten and sold as cheese. The flavor is sweet, salty, and almost like a savory caramel or dulce de leche.
Ekte Gjetost is made from 100% goat's milk whey — sharper, tangier, and more intensely caramel. Ski Queen (Gudbrandsdalsost) is a blend of goat and cow, so it's milder, creamier, and the easier entry point. If you're new to brown cheese, start with Ski Queen; if you like it, the all-goat Ekte is the bolder next step.
Shaved thin with a cheese slicer (the Norwegian ostehøvel was practically invented for it) over buttered crispbread or dark bread, or melted onto hot waffles — a very Norwegian breakfast. A thin slice is key; it's dense and rich, so a thick slab is too much. Some people melt it into sauces for game or add a sliver to coffee gravy.
Keep it tightly wrapped in the fridge — it dries out and hardens at the cut edge if left exposed. Well wrapped, it keeps for weeks to months thanks to the cooking-down process that concentrates it. If a surface skin forms, just slice it off. It ships cold and should go straight into the refrigerator on arrival.
Make or grow real brunost & brown cheese and think you belong here? Tell us → — features are on merit, never for sale.
Some "see it at…" links are affiliate links — if you buy through one, 5best2buy may earn a small commission at no extra cost to you. It never costs the maker anything, and it never decides who makes the list. The list is the list.
© 2026 5best2buy · Worth The Hunt · No.487