A hundred years ago in Lillehammer, Norway, cabinetmaker Thor Bjørklund was using a planer to smooth out some wood, when the idea of a more efficient cheese slicer came to him- one that would be more precise and easier than cutting with a knife. In the years after World War I, a thinner slice meant that resources could be stretched further.
With the patent for his ostehøvel (cheese slicer) secured, Bjørklund launched his company Thor Bjørkelund & Sønner in 1927. A century later, every Norwegian household has an ostehøvel, if not six. According to melk.no, 42% of Norwegians chose cheese as their favorite pålegg (topping) on their breakfast smørbrød (open-face sandwiches). There are different slicer shapes for soft and hard cheese, and other practical uses.
Verdens Største Ostehøvel
Less than an hour south of Lillehammer, the town of Ringebu is the proud home of the World’s Largest Cheese Slicer. Since the Bjørklund cheese slicer factory was moved to Ringebu in 2010, it was only fitting that this massive kitchen utensil popped up in 2015. Standing 25 feet tall, this outsized utensil is in the official Guinness-book records.
This roadside attraction is not only good for a selfie, but the landmark is a short walk from the Bjorklund1925 store, where all of their cheese slicers are available. The company sells around 200,000 cheese slicers worldwide per year. Aside from sales within Norway, their slicers are also popular in the US, Sweden and the Netherlands.
These days, Norwegians eat record amounts of cheese and are as serious as ever about their slicing preferences. The consensus seems to be that you should always use the right slicer for the right cheese, whether its gulost/hvitost (yellow or white cheese) or brunost (brown cheese).
Getting The Best Slice
In this YouTube video, a Norwegian man demonstrates good brunost cutting technique. Hold the cheese with one hand while pulling the slicer in a straight line and applying even pressure to avoid the dreaded “hoppbakke” or ski jump effect. Another helpful tip is to turn the cheese 180 degrees and alternate the direction that you cut from. In another video, two Norwegian women teach a Brit living in Oslo how to get the perfect slice. It may sound like a taboo, but some Norwegians even use cheese slicers for cucumbers, carrots, or other foods.
Practice your cheese slicing technique and find delicious ways to top your bread, by checking out Hva spiser du til frokost? on the Sons of Norway blog.
Sources:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thor_Bj%C3%B8rklund
https://snl.no/osteh%C3%B8vel
https://www.melk.no/Oppskrifter/Kokkens-tips/Dette-er-nordmenns-favorittpalegg
https://www.bondebladet.no/osteglade-nordmenn-spiser-rekordmye-ost/s/23-150-125677
https://forum.babyverden.no/threads/gulost-hvitost.1964249/
https://forum.babyverden.no/threads/gulost-hvitost.1964249/page-2
https://www.reddit.com/r/Norway/comments/oxm3bh/any_tips_to_finding_a_good_osteh%C3%B8vel/
https://ringebu.com/no/attraksjoner/verdens-storste-ostehovel/