Allgäuer Emmentaler

What is Allgäuer Emmentaler Cheese?

Hard cheese was already being made in the Allgäu in the 18th century, but results swung widely from one producer to the next. In 1821 Josef Aurel Stadler brought two Swiss cheesemakers to Weiler to improve and even out the work, and by around 1840 many local dairies could turn out good Emmental. Fermentation cellars built on the Swiss model standardized the cheese and stabilized the size of the eyes.

It has held a protected designation of origin since January 1997. The production area covers the districts of Lindau, Oberallgäu, Ostallgäu, Unterallgäu, Ravensburg and Bodenseekreis, along with the towns of Kaufbeuren, Kempten and Memmingen.

Raw milk from the evening and morning milkings is heated to 30 degrees Celsius and set with rennet. After the curd is cut with a harp, it is heated to 50 degrees Celsius and pressed. A salt bath forms the rind. The classic eyes open up during fermentation, and the cheese then ages for at least three months.

Dry matter is at least 62 percent. The paste is a dull yellow under a smooth golden yellow crust, and the taste carries an unmistakable hazelnut note. Short ripening and smaller wheels make it lighter than Swiss Emmentaler. No shape is fixed in the rules, so wheels may be square, rectangular or round, weighing 40 to 130 kilograms.

In Germany it is commonly called Schweizer Käse, meaning Swiss cheese. Local cooking uses it for cheese spätzle and in salad with onions. The Bavarian dairy association handles its promotion and protection.