Scan Magazine | Special Theme | A Taste of Sweden
Chef and confectioner Elisabeth Johansson.
Delicious gold from the north With its characteristic sweet and salty taste, Fjällbrynt soft whey cheese is an alltime classic. Created from a love of Swedish produce and flavours, it has an air of nostalgia while keeping up with new food trends. By Malin Norman | Photos: Fjällbrynt
Fjällbrynt is one of Sweden’s oldest food brands. Nobody knows when soft whey cheese was originally invented, but in 1939 a few dairy producers in Jämtland joined forces under the brand name Fjällbrynt, with the idea to supply Sweden with the best sandwich spread possible. Today, Fjällbrynt is owned by Foodmark AB, which also carries brands such as Rydbergs and Lohmanders. Soft whey cheese is produced from whey, the cloudy watery bi-product one gets when making cheese. The whey is boiled and thickened in cast iron pots, which gives it a natural addition of iron. Production follows the same process today, and soft whey cheese is still considered a genuine and healthy product. Why has it become such a success? The explanation is in the uniqueness of the product itself, but also in what it rep46 | Issue 97 | February 2017
resents. Many Swedes start eating soft whey cheese at a young age, so it evokes memories of their childhood and family excursions. “Fjällbrynt is a genuine Swedish product. It has been around for a long time and there really is nothing similar on the market,” says senior brand manager Petra Strandberg.
Ideal for cooking and baking A new trend is to add Fjällbrynt soft whey cheese when cooking and baking. Strandberg explains how the company is looking for new ways of using the product, other than as a sandwich spread: “The more we cook and bake with soft whey cheese, the more we see how great it is, adding a nice touch to some classic as well as more contemporary dishes with its mix of sweet and salty flavours.” Fjällbrynt’s website features mouthwatering recipes such as reindeer
casserole, cheesecake with figs, and Chia pudding. The dishes are developed by chef and confectioner Elisabeth Johansson, who has been a member of the Swedish national team of chefs and now works as food inspirer and host for Sockerbagaren, a TV show about baking. Other than soft whey cheese, Fjällbrynt also produces a range of soft cheeses in classic flavours such as ham, prawn or reindeer, all featuring new design and colourful packaging. The soft cheeses are made from Swedish hard cheese and without preservatives, are ideal as sandwich spreads and easy to bring along for outdoor adventures.
For more information and recipes, please visit: www.fjallbrynt.se