Brown Cheese = Chocolate + Cheese

Light and dark brown cheese - a delicious starter

After two months in a caravan I slowly start to understand my wife’s cravings. The first one is not uncommon among Asians: she loves chocolate. The second one is surprising because my wife doesn’t like durians: she loves cheese. Probably this is the result of training her taste buds for seven long years in Switzerland.

Our trip to Norway found its culinary highlight when we met JY’s old friend Jeannie in Raudeberg, a small but lovely village on the west coast between Bergen and Trondheim i.e. in the nowhere. JY had read about ‘brown cheese’ which is a kind of cheese that tastes sweet. As our Danish ‘red sausage’ experiment was disappointing JY was careful in buying unknown food in large quantities without expert guidance.

Practicing the art of cheese slicing.

Jeannie was our perfect expert: her Asian heritage guaranteed the right taste. Living in Norway for many years gave her the right market overview. And the most important fact: in her fridge was brown cheese in various strengths ready for tasting.

Brown cheese is cheese that is fermented or cooked in a special manner that makes it light brown with a savoury and sweet caramelised taste. When JY tasted the first thin slice of brown cheese her eyes started glowing and a subtle smile was on her face. In this moment I knew (a) we needed massive storage space for brown cheese in the fridge, and (b) the beer cans had to be kicked out. A perfect opportunity to make my wife happy.

Yes, I love it!

An important requirement is that the cheese is cut in very thin slices. As our space for kitchen tools is also limited we cannot buy a cheese cutter. We have to reuse an existing tool. The choice was clear: it is the potato peeler.

I wouldn´t eat brown cheese with my strong flavoured German bread for lunch or dinner. But for tea time with a light cracker or crisp bread it is a perfect combination. From now on my wife brings the potato peeler, crackers and the collection of brown cheeses for tea and starts the cheese ceremony. Brown slices of sweet cheese melt on our tongues, make us dream and convert each camp site into a perfect place for happiness.

Relaxed connoisseur.

 Before we left Norway we stocked up our brown cheese. JY promised that it will last until we come back to Switzerland to share it with all her friends.

Tea time at a marina. What else is needed for happiness?