Cheese Database

Gamalost vs Harzer

Gamalost

Facts

Milk
Cow
Texture
Semi-hard
Rind
Natural rind
Country
Norway

Gamalost is a traditional cow's milk cheese from Norway, and the paste is firm, moist, and coarse. The name means old cheese, which fits a food kept until mold has done its work. Makers sour skimmed milk, warm the curd, and press it, then ripen the round with a surface mold. The color shifts toward brownish yellow as that mold moves inward. It is a sharp cheese for bread, not a mild wheel for a quiet snack.

Harzer

Facts

Milk
Cow
Texture
Semi-soft
Type
Washed rind
Rind
Washed rind
Country
Germany

Harzer is a German sour-milk cheese made from cow's milk, specifically from a lean curd. It is small, pale at the start, and stronger as the surface ripens. Many pieces are short rolls dotted with caraway, and others are little rounds. The smell grows loud with age, while the young cheese is milder. It is a lean cheese sold in ordinary shops, not a rare farm specialty.