Appenzeller cheese is a hard
cow's-
milk
Milk is a white liquid food produced by the mammary glands of mammals. It is the primary source of nutrition for young mammals (including breastfed human infants) before they are able to digest solid food. Immune factors and immune-modula ...
cheese produced in the
Appenzellerland region of northeast
Switzerland, in the two modern-day cantons of
Appenzell Innerrhoden and
Appenzell Ausserrhoden. 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 rather different from today.
Today, about 75 dairies produce Appenzeller, each with a different recipe for their brine wash. Most of the recipes are
trade secret
Trade secrets are a type of intellectual property that includes formulas, practices, processes, designs, instruments, patterns, or compilations of information that have inherent economic value because they are not generally known or readily ...
s.
Production
A
herbal
A herbal is a book containing the names and descriptions of plants, usually with information on their medicinal, tonic, culinary, toxic, hallucinatory, aromatic, or magical powers, and the legends associated with them.Arber, p. 14. A herbal m ...
brine, sometimes incorporating
wine
Wine is an alcoholic drink typically made from fermented grapes. Yeast consumes the sugar in the grapes and converts it to ethanol and carbon dioxide, releasing heat in the process. Different varieties of grapes and strains of yeasts are m ...
or
cider, 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 flavor, which can range from mild to tangy, depending on how long it is aged. Three types are sold:
*"Classic". Aged three to four months, mildly spicy. The wheels are wrapped in a silver label.
*"Surchoix". Aged four to six months, strongly spicy. Gold label.
*"Extra". Aged six months or longer, extra spicy. 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