[3] Traditionally brunost was made on farms throughout Norway by boiling whey without the addition of milk or cream.

While working at a mountain farm near Gålå during 1863, Hov came up with the idea of adding cream to cow-milk whey and to boil it down in an iron pot until the fluid content was reduced, creating a firmer, fatty, more cheese-like product.

Hov’s neighbors admired what they called her “blend”,[1] and the local trader Ole Kongsli liked it so much he thought there might be a market for the product in Oslo.

Ole Kongsli started exporting it to his business contacts in Oslo under the name Gudbrandsdalsost ("Gudbrandsdal Cheese"), and it became so successful that it contributed significantly to the economy of the region, thus helping Gudbrandsdalen out of recession.

[8][9][10][11] In 1933, aged 87, Hov received the King's Medal of Merit (Kongens fortjenstmedalje) in silver for her contributions to Norwegian cuisine and economy.