Cheese Database

Jarlsberg cheese vs Samsø cheese

Jarlsberg cheese, field guide plate
Jarlsberg cheese, photographed

Jarlsberg cheese

Facts

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

Jarlsberg cheese is a semi-hard cheese from Norway. It is made from cow's milk and belongs to the alpine family of pressed cheeses with round eyes. The paste is pale yellow, smooth, and flexible, with a mild nutty taste and a sweet finish. A yellow wax coat usually covers the rind. Wheels and pre-cut blocks are both common in shops at home and abroad.

Samsø cheese

Facts

Milk
Cow
Texture
Semi-hard
Type
Pressed
Rind
Waxed or sealed
Country
Denmark
Place
Samsø

Samsø cheese is a semi-hard cow's milk cheese from Denmark, named for the island of Samsø. It is the Danish reading of a cheese with eyes, milder and gentler than a big Alpine wheel. The paste is yellow, supple, and elastic, with a scattering of irregular holes. Many wheels wear a yellow wax coat over a golden rind, and many shop pieces are simple blocks. Young cheese is mild and nutty, and a longer rest brings a sweeter, slightly sour edge.