Semi-Hard
Schnittkäse, also called Halbhartkäse, is the German category for cheese firm enough to slice cleanly, ripened one to three months. It carries more water than hard cheese, and it is eaten mostly as sliced cheese with bread.
Key Facts
| Moisture Content | Over 54% and up to 63% water in the fat-free cheese mass |
| Rind | Dry smear, waxed or film-wrapped depending on the type |
| Texture | Firm but supple, slices cleanly |
| Age | 1 to 3 months |
| Also Known As | Halbhartkäse |
What is Semi-Hard Cheese?
Schnittkäse, also called Halbhartkäse, is a German cheese category named for what it does on the board: it cuts into slices without crumbling or smearing. The defining traits are a firm consistency, a supple body and a ripening time of one to three months.
The short ripening is what sets the group apart from hard cheese. Less time in the cellar means more water stays in the paste, so the cheese ends up softer and easier to cut. Water in the fat-free cheese mass runs above 54 percent and no higher than 63 percent, which puts some varieties close enough to hard cheese that their properties overlap.
Two groups are distinguished. One is made with a dry smear and carries slit holes formed during filling, or fermentation holes, as in Tilsit and Havarti. The other has no smear, is waxed or wrapped in film, and shows few fermentation holes, as in Edam and Gouda. Other members of the category include Appenzeller, Kashkaval in the Balkans, Leerdammer, Morbier, Steppenkäse, Subenhara, Walliser Raclette and Wilstermarschkäse.
Next to it sits halbfester Schnittkäse, a group with blurred edges that falls between Schnittkäse and soft cheese. Butterkäse, Roquefort, Gorgonzola, Trappist cheese and blue-veined Edelpilzkäse belong there.
Most of it is eaten cold. Sliced Schnittkäse with bread is a standard at breakfast and at the evening meal. It also works in salads and for gratins, where dishes are browned under heat.
How Does Semi-Hard Cheese Compare?
The most relevant cheeses to compare Semi-Hard against.
