As early as in 1830 there was an active production of cheeses with holes in the Laurvig and Jarlsberg county in the South of Norway. In 1956 Professor Ole M. Ystgaard from the Agricultural University of Norway started to do research on these cheese recipes, recognizing the value of this type of cheese. During his research he developed a semi-hard, medium-fat cheese with holes, successfully combining the cheese-making traditions with modern technologies. The new cheese was named jarlsberg after the county, where the earlier version had been made at the beginning of the 19th century.

Norwegian Jarlsberg is an aged. Made from the sweet milk of cows in their summer pasture, it is less nutty than classic Swiss with its characteristic and large round holes, and has a milder flavor. Although softer and sweeter, it is an excellent substitute for Emmenthal. It has a slightly lower fat content than Swiss cheese, and melts easily.