Hirtenkäse, or "herder's cheese", is a distinctive cow's milk cheese made in the

Allgäu The Allgäu (Standard German: , also Allgovia) is a region in Swabia in southern Germany. It covers the south of Bavarian Swabia, southeastern Baden-Württemberg, and parts of Austria. The region stretches from the pre-alpine lands up to the A ...

area of Southern

Germany Germany,, officially the Federal Republic of Germany, is a country in Central Europe. It is the second most populous country in Europe after Russia, and the most populous member state of the European Union. Germany is situated betwe ...

.Fond o'Foods website
Accessed March 17, 2009.Janet Fletcher, "Cheese Course: Hirtenkäse fans party when the cows come home," ''

San Francisco Chronicle The ''San Francisco Chronicle'' is a newspaper serving primarily the San Francisco Bay Area of Northern California. It was founded in 1865 as ''The Daily Dramatic Chronicle'' by teenage brothers Charles de Young and Michael H. de Young. The ...

'', Februar
SF Gate website
Accessed March 17, 2009. Heinrich von Zügel - Bauer beim Heimtrieb der Kühe

Traditionally, cow herders bring their cows from the

Alps The Alps () ; german: Alpen ; it, Alpi ; rm, Alps ; sl, Alpe . are the highest and most extensive mountain range system that lies entirely in Europe, stretching approximately across seven Alpine countries (from west to east): France, Swi ...

into Allgäu each fall in mid-September. September 18 typically "marks the official start of the ''

Almabtrieb The Almabtrieb (in Switzerland: Alpabzug, Alpabfahrt, or in French speaking Switzerland: Désalpes; German language literally: ''drive from the mountain pasture'') is an annual event in the alpine regions in Europe, referring to a cattle drive t ...

'', or descent, a day celebrated with a festival ...." Hirtenkäse is made from the milk from these cows. It is usually aged eight months.

Color, texture and taste

This cheese is "golden" and "Buttery yellow in color...." Vogt (Allgäu apotheke)

Its texture and taste are "rustic, savory and firm textured... with a rugged, earthy aroma." It has been compared to other hard cheeses of

Europe Europe is a large peninsula conventionally considered a continent in its own right because of its great physical size and the weight of its history and traditions. Europe is also considered a subcontinent of Eurasia and it is located entirel ...

Wine and fruit pairings

Hirtenkäse's nutty, earthy flavors can be complemented or contrasted. A reviewer at the ''

'' prefers complementing the cheese, writing, "I want a nutty, slightly sweet wine with it, such as an oloroso

sherry Sherry ( es, jerez ) is a fortified wine made from white grapes that are grown near the city of Jerez de la Frontera in Andalusia, Spain. Sherry is produced in a variety of styles made primarily from the Palomino grape, ranging from light versi ...

or a Madeira." iGourmet suggests contrasting the cheese: Like the bacon-and-

chicken liver The chicken (''Gallus gallus domesticus'') is a domesticated junglefowl species, with attributes of wild species such as the grey and the Ceylon junglefowl that are originally from Southeastern Asia. Rooster or cock is a term for an adult m ...

rumaki Rumaki or rumake is an hors d'oeuvre of tiki culture origin. It was popularly served at Trader Vic's and other Polynesian restaurants in the 1950s and 1960s. Preparation Rumaki's ingredients and method of preparation vary, but usually it consi ...

, this cheese can be combined with other foods in interesting ways to mix

salt Salt is a mineral composed primarily of sodium chloride (NaCl), a chemical compound belonging to the larger class of salts; salt in the form of a natural crystalline mineral is known as rock salt or halite. Salt is present in vast quant ...

y and savory flavors.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Hirtenkase Cow's-milk cheeses German cheeses Swabian cuisine

Color, texture and taste

Wine and fruit pairings

See also

References