Top 9 Swedish Semi-hard Cheeses

Gräddost is a traditional cheese originating from Sweden, its name meaning cream cheese when translated. The cheese is made from pasteurized cow's milk and it's usually left to age for up to 7 months. Underneath its waxed rind, the texture is smooth and creamy with small eyes dispersed throughout the body. The aromas are nutty, while the flavors are usually mild, sweet, and nutty with fresh and tangy hints. Due to the fact that Gräddost melts well, it's often used on pizzas or in sandwiches. It's recommended to pair the cheese with Sauvignon Blanc, Merlot, and Chenin Blanc.Expand

Svecia is a cylindrical, semi-hard cheese made from cow's milk, with a waxed rind exterior and a light yellow to yellow interior with small holes dispersed throughout. It is left to mature for a minimum of two months, after which it develops a full-bodied, acidic flavor. Svecia is produced only in the low areas of Sweden and its name is derived from the old Latin word Suecia, which means 'Sweden'. It goes well on sandwiches, with figs and jam, or used in cooking because it has great melting properties and gives a nice color to the dishes.Expand

Herrgårdsost is a traditional cheese made from pasteurized cow's milk. The cheese has been produced since the 18th century in manor houses, hence its English name – Manorhouse cheese. When made from whole milk, it's aged for 6 months, and when it's made from skimmed milk, it's aged for 4 months. However, some cheeses are aged for up to a year or two. Underneath its waxed rind, the texture is semi-hard, smooth, and supple. The aromas are mild and grassy, while the flavors are milk, sweet, tangy, and nutty. It's recommended to serve Herrgårdsost with crackers or crusty bread and use it in salads or melt it in sandwiches. For the best experience, pair it with a glass of Merlot.Expand

Grevé is a traditional semi-hard cheese. It's made from pasteurized cow's milk and aged for about 10 months. This emmental-style cheese was first produced in Örnsköldsvik in 1964. Underneath its green waxed rind, the texture is smooth and creamy, with large, walnut-sized eyes dispersed throughout the body. The flavors are mild and nutty with a slightly sharp finish. It's recommended to use Grevé as a table cheese and pair it with a glass of beer or white wine. Grevé also melts well and it can be used in various baked dishes.Expand

Hushållsost is a cylindrical, creamy, semi-hard, traditional cheese made from cows' whole milk on Swedish farms, literally translated as 'household cheese'. Consistent to its name, it is the most popular cheese in Sweden, with 15,000 tons of it consumed every year. It has small holes dispersed throughout its body, slices easily and has great melting properties. Hushållsost cheese weighs between one and two kilograms, gets wrapped in a plastic casing and is then matured for sixty days and develops a mild, yet sour flavor. Goes well in sandwiches, pizzas, casseroles or paired with fig jam.Expand

Ädelost is a Swedish blue cheese that was originally created as an alternative to the imported French blue cheeses. The cheese is made from cow's milk and it ages for 8-12 weeks. It has a thin, pale rind that's dusted with specks of grey, white, and blue mold. The interior is creamy in texture and pale in color, scattered with blue-grey pockets and broken veins. The flavors are sharp, spicy, salty, and tangy. Ädelost is usually crumbled over salads or used as a table cheese, but it can also be combined with balsamic vinegar and olive oil to create a piquant salad dressing. It's recommended to pair it with a glass of hoppy beer or local schnapps.Expand

Wrångebäck or Wrångebäcksost is the oldest registered cheese brand in Sweden, dating back to 1889. It’s produced in the region along the western shore of Lake Vättern, called Guldkroken. The cheese is made from thermized full-fat cow’s milk and it’s left to age for at least nine months before consumption. Every wheel has the imprint bearing its name, and until 1961 the rind was waxed, but nowadays it's washed in salt water. Underneath the rind, the texture is semi-hard, compact, firm, and creamy, with occasional crystals and eyes. The cheese is melty on the palate. The aromas are slightly sour, with milky, fruity, and barnyardy notes, while the flavors are rich, complex, salty, slightly sweet, and barnyardy, with a long-lasting aftertaste. It’s recommended to pair Wrångebäcksost with a glass of IPA beer or Jura-style white wines.Expand

Victoria is a Swedish blue cheese hailing from Oviken, where it's produced by Oviken Cheese. The cheese is made from a mixture of pasteurized cow's and sheep's milk. It's usually left to age for 2 months before consumption. Underneath its mold-ripened natural rind, the texture is firm and creamy, with blue veins running throughout the body. The aromas are intense, and the flavors are distinctively salty and earthy, becoming even more pronounced with further aging.Expand

Magna is a Swedish blue cheese originating from Oviken, where it's produced by Oviken Cheese. The cheese is made from raw cow's milk. Underneath its mold-ripened natural rind, the texture is firm with blue veins running throughout the paste. The flavors are round, well-balanced, sharp, and salty without any pungent aromas. Magna has won a gold medal at the World Cheese Awards in 2013.Expand