Sure, the French are known for their oster (cheeses), but a Norwegian invented osthøvelen (the cheese slicer).  Although some sorts of ostehøvler have been around in Europe for ages, it was not until 1925 that Thor Bjørklund, a Norwegian carpenter from Lillehammer, patented osthøvelen.  Do you wonder why this carpenter invented something to slice cheese with?  He was frustrated by not being able to slice cheese thinly enough, so  he toyed with the ´carpenter´s plane´and then applied it to cheese.  Brilliant idea!  I have  had the occasion several times to cut cheese with a knife, and it really does not compare to a good ostehøvel.  There are definitely bad ones and good ones.  The best ones, in my opinion, are the ones that have nothing to adjust, they are just simple, like the carpenter´s plane;)

Since 1925 the factory has produced more than 50 million ostehøvler.  I think between my parents and I we have 10, so there have to be quite a few people who still use knives…Back in the first 5 years of its existence, it took one hour to make one ostehøvel.

Of course you can use an ostehøvel for things other than ost, such as an agurk (cucumber) pictured above.

In 1927, Thor Bjørklund´s invention really took off.   Who wouldn´t want a good osthøvel, right?  If you don´t have a proper ostehøvel, you will be disappointed by too little or not enough cheese.

So now, onto Norwegian oster.  My all time favorite is brunost-brown cheese, which is made by boiling a mixture of milk, cream, and whey.  If you prefer lighter brunost, the amount of whey used is increased.  I prefer the bold taste.  Some compare it to dulce de leche, but although it is very sweet, I think brunost has a unique taste unlike any other cheese.  It´s so great that I can buy it in Minnesota at Cub Foods! Tine is the main producer of brunost in Norway and Ski Queen is what I see most here in the U.S.

My next favorite ost is Jarlsberg, a mild yellow ost made from cow´s milk.  It is aged for at least one year and has wholes in it similar to swiss. Jarlsberg has a mild flavor that is kind of buttery and nutty at the same time and is great for either cooking or for snacking on.

One of my less favorite Norwegian oster is called Nøkkelost (nøkkel means key).  It is also a yellow, semi-firm ost.  It is distinguished by its unique ingredients: cumin, caraway seeds, and cloves.  This ost appeared and was popular in the U.S. in the 60s-it was called Caraway.

There are lots of other Norwegian oster, but I am late for work, so I shall stop here!