Cheese Database

Herrgårdsost vs Västerbotten

Herrgårdsost

Facts

Milk
Cow
Texture
Semi-hard
Type
Pressed
Rind
Waxed or sealed
Country
Sweden

Herrgårdsost is a semi-hard Swedish cheese made from cow's milk. The name means manor house cheese, and the style grew up in the dairies of Swedish estates. The paste is smooth and supple, pale yellow, and marked by small round holes. A wax coat covers the outside of the wheel. The taste is mild, nutty, and slightly sweet, which makes it a daily table cheese in Sweden rather than a rare wheel kept for a feast.

Västerbotten

Facts

Milk
Cow
Texture
Hard
Type
Pressed
Rind
Waxed or sealed
Country
Sweden
Place
Burträsk

Västerbotten is a hard cow's milk cheese from Burträsk, in Sweden, and many labels use the Swedish name Västerbottensost. One dairy in that town makes it, so the region is the real place of production and not a loose national style. The paste is pale yellow, firm, and granular, with tiny eyes. The flavor is strong, salty, and aromatic, with a savory edge that can turn slightly bitter. Swedes treat it as a special hard cheese, not as a mild everyday slice.