Appenzeller cheese () is a hard
cow's-
milk
Milk is a white liquid food produced by the mammary glands of lactating mammals. It is the primary source of nutrition for young mammals (including breastfeeding, breastfed human infants) before they are able to digestion, digest solid food. ...
cheese
Cheese is a type of dairy product produced in a range of flavors, textures, and forms by coagulation of the milk protein casein. It comprises proteins and fat from milk (usually the milk of cows, buffalo, goats or sheep). During prod ...
produced in the
Appenzell
Appenzell () was a cantons of Switzerland, canton in the northeast of Switzerland, and entirely surrounded by the canton of St. Gallen, in existence from 1403 to 1597.
Appenzell became independent of the Abbey of Saint Gall in 1403 and entered ...
erland region of northeast
Switzerland
Switzerland, officially the Swiss Confederation, is a landlocked country located in west-central Europe. It is bordered by Italy to the south, France to the west, Germany to the north, and Austria and Liechtenstein to the east. Switzerland ...
, in the two modern-day cantons of
Appenzell Innerrhoden
Canton of Appenzell Innerrhoden ( ; ; ; ), in English sometimes Appenzell Inner-Rhodes, is one of the 26 cantons forming the Swiss Confederation. It is composed of five districts. The seat of the government and parliament is Appenzell. It is ...
and
Appenzell Ausserrhoden
Canton of Appenzell Ausserrhoden ( ; ; ; ), in English sometimes Appenzell Outer Rhodes, is one of the Canton of Switzerland, 26 cantons forming the Switzerland, Swiss Confederation. It is composed of twenty municipalities. The seat of the gove ...
. It is classified as a
Swiss-type or Alpine cheese.
History
Cheese from Appenzellerland has a documented history of at least 700 years, being first mentioned in a document from 1282.
However, the manufacturing process is not mentioned and may have been different from currently.
About 75 dairies produce Appenzeller, each with a different recipe for their brine wash. Most of the recipes are
trade secret
A trade secret is a form of intellectual property (IP) comprising confidential information that is not generally known or readily ascertainable, derives economic value from its secrecy, and is protected by reasonable efforts to maintain its conf ...
s.
Production
An
herb
Herbs are a widely distributed and widespread group of plants, excluding vegetables, with savory or aromatic properties that are used for flavoring and garnishing food, for medicinal purposes, or for fragrances. Culinary use typically distingu ...
al
brine
Brine (or briny water) is a high-concentration solution of salt (typically sodium chloride or calcium chloride) in water. In diverse contexts, ''brine'' may refer to the salt solutions ranging from about 3.5% (a typical concentration of seawat ...
, sometimes incorporating
wine
Wine is an alcoholic drink made from Fermentation in winemaking, fermented fruit. Yeast in winemaking, Yeast consumes the sugar in the fruit and converts it to ethanol and carbon dioxide, releasing heat in the process. Wine is most often made f ...
or
cider
Cider ( ) is an alcoholic beverage made from the Fermented drink, fermented Apple juice, juice of apples. Cider is widely available in the United Kingdom (particularly in the West Country) and Ireland. The United Kingdom has the world's highest ...
, is applied to the wheels of cheese while they cure, which flavors and preserves the cheese while promoting the formation of a rind.
Variants
The cheese is straw-colored, with tiny holes and a golden rind. It has a strong smell and a nutty or fruity flavour, which can range from mild to tangy, depending on how long it is aged. Three types are sold:
*"Classic". Aged three to four months, mild. The wheels are wrapped in a silver label.
*"Surchoix". Aged four to six months, sharp. Gold label.
*"Extra". Aged six months or longer, extra sharp. Black label.
See also
*
References
External links
Official Appenzeller pageSan Francisco Chronicle
Janet Fletcher, October 21, 2004
Epicurious description
{{Authority control
Swiss cheeses
Cow's-milk cheeses
Culinary Heritage of Switzerland