THE LOCAL-ONLY MANIFESTO of New Nordic cuisine helped the movement take the food world by storm. That motto is also the secret weapon of the region's cheesemakers. Using tried-and-tested traditional methods, producers in Scandinavia are churning out some of the most interesting cheeses around. Here's our guide to some of the best.
Denmark
Unika's Krondill cheese
It should come as no surprise that even Denmark's leading dairy producer is experimenting with unusual local ingredients. Arla Food's artisanal cheese line Unika, created with the help of Danish chefs, holds fast to the New Nordic manifesto. Its Troldhede Porse cheese, for example, is mixed with the essential oils of bog myrtle. Havgus, a mild cheese full of small crystals and English toffee undertones, is inspired by the salt marsh region of southern Jutland. Its dill-spiked Krondill calls on the local tradition of pickling vegetables with the herb, while Kornly uses a method from Denmark's rural areas, where cheese was stored in the grain pile to keep it fresh.
From 49.50 kroner, or €7, at nemlig.com
Norway
In a relatively untouched corner of Norway, the Undredal Stølsysteri cooperative makes traditional cheeses using the rhythms of nature and seasons. Geitost, their specialty, is a brown goat cheese with a sweet caramel flavor, made from the whey drained out of curdled milk and cooked for up to 10 hours. With limited availability at certain times of year, when milk production is low and transportation from the isolated village is difficult, it's a rare treat outside of Norway.
£67 a kilo, from lafromagerie.co.uk
Sweden
Thomas Berglund's dairy farm has been in his family since 1915. One of the largest organic farms in Sweden, Almnäs Bruk, in Hjo, stopped making cheese in 1961 to focus on milk and cash crops. But a few years ago, Mr. Berglund decided to resurrect the cheesemaking tradition and recruited an employee who worked at the farm in the 1950s to help perfect the original Wrångebäck Sweden recipe. A hard cheese with holes, its taste is rich and complex, with a strong umami flavor.
Almnäs Bruk's other cheeses also draw inspiration from the past. The nutty, semisoft Anno 1225 references the farm's medieval beginnings. Its Almnäs Tegel, which has grainy texture rather like Parmesan, is made in a square block resembling the tiles used to build the estate's manor.
From £30 a kilo at Rippon Cheese (26 Upper Tachbrook St., London; +44 20 7931 0628) and online at jeandalos.net
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