Jarlsberg a Norwegian cheese, semi-hard, bearing a likeness to emmental with its large holes and cream colour. It is round in shape, and some 10 cm (4") high, with a dry rind. It has a nutty flavour which is slightly more creamy than that of Emmental.
Although not christened, widely manufactured, or exported until 1959, this cheese is thought to have been made on Norwegian farmsteads for a considerably longer period. It is named after an old estate once settled by the Vikings, and a large-holed cheese of similar type has certainly been made since the beginning of the 19th century.