The original Jarlsberg® is based on a secret Norwegian recipe from 1956 – so secret that only a handful of trusted people know of its whereabouts and custodians. The combination of traditional cheese-making and modern technology gives the cheese an edge; appreciated by both world class and amateur chefs.

The determination of the Jarlsberg® cheese origins has had its twists and turns. When and where was the very first deliciously round cheese made? And how did it get its nutty flavour? Our beloved Jarlsberg® and its story has been discussed many times. Was it made by monks? Swiss cheesemakers? A king? In the 19th century? By accident? Well, it’s not quite that kind of story, but still a good one. And of course, an important one.

The story of the cheese that we today call Jarlsberg® goes all the way back to the 1950s. It all started in the small Norwegian village called Ås and a professor, Ole Martin Ystgaard, who was leading a long-term research project at the Dairy Institute at the Agricultural University of Norway. The project started in 1956 and continued for about 10 years until Professor Ystgaard decided that the development phase was complete.