The Sweet, Savory, Zero-Waste Cheese You Didn’t Know You Needed

Speaking at the Biohacking Weekend Conference in Norway

The Biohacking Girls, Monica & Alette, with Bill and Christina in Norway

Last week, Christina and I had the incredible opportunity to speak at the Biohacking Weekend conference in Norway. Christina delivered her talk, “Building a Nourished Family in an Ultra-Processed World,” and I presented “From Crisis to Balance: Reclaiming Metabolic Health through Ancestral Practices.”

After the event, we traveled north to spend time at a cabin with Eva and Sven, where we finally learned to make a traditional Norwegian brown cheese that has been close to my heart since childhood: Brunøst.

Brunøst and My Grandmother’s Cheese Plate

This unique cheese has a very special place in my story. I was first exposed to Brunøst at a very young age. My grandmother — “Granny” — lived just across the street from us in Shrewsbury, New Jersey. Some of my most vivid childhood memories are from dinners at her house. Nestled next to a spread of Wheat Thins, stone ground crackers, and a brown ceramic crock filled with port wine cheddar on her wooden leaf-shaped tray was always something special: a mysterious brown cheese with a soft, almost fudge-like texture and an unforgettable sweet-savory flavor that would cling to the roof of your mouth. It was Brunøst.

Even back then, as I flipped through the stack of National Geographic magazines next to her cheese plate, I found myself dreaming of the faraway places I now get to explore. Looking back, I can confidently say that both the cheese and those magazines planted the seeds for the curiosity and wanderlust Christina and I now share.

The Science Behind Brunøst

Brunøst success with Eva!

Years later, as I began learning to make cheese myself, I tried to track down how to make Brunøst — and quickly realized it’s not actually cheese in the traditional sense.

Technically, cheese is made from casein, one of the two main proteins in milk. But Brunøst is made not from curds, but from the whey that’s left over after curds are formed. More specifically, it’s made from lactose, the milk sugar that remains in the whey. Rather than fermenting it, Brunøst is made by cooking the whey down until nearly all of the moisture evaporates and the natural sugars caramelize. A touch of cream or milk is added, and the thickened caramel-like mixture is poured into molds and allowed to set overnight.

The result? A creamy, sliceable, fudge-textured “caramel cheese” that is both nostalgic and completely aligned with everything we do at the Modern Stone Age Kitchen. (And yes, it's technically carnivore, too!)

Zero-Waste, Full Flavor

Brunøst is not just traditional — it's also incredibly zero waste. After making our pasta filata cheeses, we’re left with large quantities of whey. While we already use much of it to make traditional ricotta, there’s only so much ricotta we can use or sell at a time. Brunøst gives us a beautiful, functional, and deeply rooted way to make full use of the milk and ensure nothing goes to waste.

Ricotta making at the MSAK

Making Brunøst in the Norwegian Mountains

The morning after the conference, Christina and I drove about three and a half hours north into the mountains to meet Eva and Sven. We followed them to a nearby farm where we picked up fresh raw milk — the first step in our Brunøst journey — and then headed to their cozy hytte, the traditional Norwegian word for cabin, to begin the process.

The hours spent slowly stirring the pot as the whey reduced were filled with stories, laughter, and unforgettable food. Eva is an expert forager and fermenter, and throughout the day she treated us to her wildcrafted creations — from fermented herbs to homemade teas. Sven brought out a cured roe deer leg and a cured lamb leg, slicing off tender pieces while we sipped on his homemade bitters.

For dinner, they made a rich Norwegian moose stew and stirred in some of the Brunøst for depth and umami. We enjoyed it with fermented lingonberries and fir tips. For dessert, Eva pulled wild cloudberries she’d foraged the previous season from the freezer and folded them into freshly whipped cream. Just before midnight, as we poured the final cheese into its mold, we stepped outside and caught a glimpse of the northern lights through the clouds. It was a magical way to end a magical day.

Bringing Brunøst to Chestertown

That experience brought the story of Brunøst full circle for me: rooted in family, deeply traditional, seasonal, and shared.

We’re currently working on our first batch and will begin offering it soon at the Modern Stone Age Kitchen. It will make a beautiful and unique addition to our 100% scratch-made charcuterie boards, which we’re also excited to launch soon.

Brunøst pairs wonderfully with dried fruits, toasted nuts, and fermented or cured meats. It’s also amazing grated into stews or melted into sauces, adding richness, umami, and a subtle touch of sweetness.

(Who knows — we may even find a way to tuck it into a croissant someday.)

Coming Soon

This is a deeply personal addition to our cheese lineup, and we can’t wait to share it with you. Come try it soon — and stay tuned for the official launch of our charcuterie boards, where Brunøst will be proudly featured.