Cheeses of Burträsk
A small town in northern Sweden that alone makes Västerbotten cheese, the strong, crumbly cheese of the crayfish party.
Made, aged and sold here
Best time: June to August, with crayfish parties in August.
Burträsk is a small town by a lake in Västerbotten, in northern Sweden. Västerbotten cheese has been made here since 1872 and nowhere else. A local story says a dairymaid left the curd unattended while she met her sweetheart, and the uneven stirring gave the cheese its character. Whatever its start, it is now one of Sweden's best-loved cheeses.
Västerbotten cheese
Västerbotten cheese is a hard cow's milk cheese whose curd is heated, cut and stirred for a long time before moulding. It ages for over a year, becoming firm and granular, with small holes and a strong, salty, slightly bitter taste, something like Parmesan. Grated into a savoury tart, Västerbottenpaj, it is a standard dish at the crayfish parties of August.
The town and the north
Burträsk lies on a lake among forests and farms, about an hour from Skellefteå and the Gulf of Bothnia. A visitor centre in the town tells the cheese's story. Summer brings long light nights, and autumn brings berry picking in the forests, for lingonberries and cloudberries. Winters are long, snowy and dark.
A trail idea for Burträsk
- Burträsk cheese visitor centre Learn the cheese's story where it is made.
- Lake Burträsk Walk by the lake and the old church.
- Skellefteå The coastal town and its old church village.
- A crayfish party Eat Västerbottenpaj at an August kräftskiva.
Written by the EveryCheese desk with AI assistance. Background: "Burträsk" on Wikipedia. Opening hours, markets, caves and tours change; check locally before travelling. If something is wrong, tell us.
