Vestfold · Norway
Jarlsberg.
Jarlsberg melts on the tongue with a gentle sweetness and buttery richness, its semi-hard paste yielding to a creamy center. Subtle nutty undertones emerge alongside whispers of fresh hay and orchard fruit—a cheese that tastes of Norwegian pastures in their gentlest season.
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The story
How it's made.
Why it tastes that way.
Jarlsberg was developed in the 1950s by researchers at the Agricultural University of Norway (now NMBU) in Ås, inspired by traditional Swiss Emmental-type cheeses but adapted to Norwegian dairy conditions. The recipe was adapted from a 19th-century Norwegian cheese called 'Jarlsbergost,' produced in the former Jarlsberg county of Vestfold.
Norwegian dairy co-operative TINE launched Jarlsberg commercially in 1961, and it became one of the world's best-selling Norwegian export cheeses. It is also produced under license in Ireland (at Ornua, Kilmeaden) and Ohio (USA). The characteristic large round holes result from Propionibacterium bacteria activity.
Production · spec
- Milk
- Cow · pasteurised
- Family
- Alpine
- Rind
- wax
- Age
Tasting profile
What it tastes like.
Caseo's flavour axes are calibrated against reference cheeses. This is Jarlsberg's fingerprint.
Aroma
Nutrition · per 100g serving
What's in a wedge.
A 100g serving — about a finger-thick wedge. Daily values use the FDA 2020 reference of 2,000 kcal. Expect ±5% variation between wheels.
Estimated values — based on similar cheese family data
Pairings · Caseo curated
What goes with Jarlsberg.
27 pairings across 7 categories.
Wine
Beer & Cider
Where to find it
Cheese counters.
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