Switzerland’s Appenzeller cheese, one of the most recognized alp varieties, has a long history.
Switzerland produces over 750 varieties of cheeses. That’s a lot of production for such a small country, considering one can travel end-to-end by train in less than eight hours. The alpine landscape of Switzerland plays a strong role in the endurance of the cheese industry. So it’s no surprise that for every person there are five cows and that half of the dairy milk production goes into making cheese. Yes, truly it’s quite the cheesy country. The architects of this glorious product? Swiss Brown cows can be seen almost everywhere in summer, where they graze on the lush buffet of green grass that covers the alp meadows from May to October.
One of the most recognized alp cheeses, Appenzeller, originates from the Eastern region of Switzerland where alpine herdsmen having been making it for over 700 years. The charming historic village of Appenzell is nestled within the rolling hills of Appenzell Innerrhoden, the smallest canton of Switzerland. The village, with a population of 7,000, is considered to the cultural center of the canton. Time-honored traditions centered around dairy farming are still practiced where visitors can attend local events and festivals, such as the cattle drive up to the alpine pastures in May. This is where a procession of decorated dairy cows, with bells, of course, are led by herdsmen wearing traditional festive costumes. Once the cows reach the alp pastures, the herdsmen sing yodeling songs.
photos appenzell tourism and cheeses from switzerland
A Storied History
When an abbatial estate was built in 1071, cultivation and settlement began taking place in the mountain valleys, which led to farming on the Alpstein Alps. Farmers tended their alpine green meadows that were mainly situated on the sunny side of hills between 500 and 1,000 meters above sea level. Grazing during the summer, leading the cows to the grasslands of the alps was a method of protecting the fodder crops in the lower valleys.
The first mention of a hard cow’s milk cheese was noted in a document written in 1282, when the people of Appenzell used the cheese they produced as a tithe to the church, thus giving it to the monks at the Abbey of St. Galen. The cheese was highly regarded for its unique spicy flavor derived from an herbal brine and rub placed on the rind surface as it aged. Each farmer developed their own distinctive brine based on their environment, passing down the recipe within the family. Cheese was a main staple of food and main source of income, making anything to do with the lifestyle of producing cheese a valuable skill and trade, including management of the pastures.
Now, Appenzeller cheese is produced as it was 700 years ago using traditional artisan methods in around 50 local cheese dairies following an original recipe. However, the Appenzeller Schaukäserei (Demonstration Dairy) is where visitors can learn about the process of Appenzeller cheesemaking, yet the secret of the herbal brine remains as cherished today as it was hundreds of years ago. Only a few people know the recipe, and it’s a closely guarded secret.
A Unique Blend
A hint to discovering the herbs, flowers, roots, etc. used in the blend is to visit the Alpstein grassland landscape where cows roam. On the high alps, years ago, farms dotted the steep meadows where three wooden buildings identified the location of a cheesemaking farm. A three-room alpine hut provided the herdsmen living quarters and was where the cheese and butter were made. There was also a cowshed and a small pigsty where pigs finished off the remnants of cheese and butter process. In these times, herdsmen made cheese inside their hut, where a vat (copper tub) hung from the ceiling beams, suspended over an open fire. The herdsman owned his land and his herd of cows, lived with them on these remote mountain pastures and, during winter, drove the cattle from one hay farmer to another in the valleys below.
In Appenzellerland, cheese and butter have always traditionally been made on the mountain alps. The products were then picked up by the dairyman, who would visit every one or two weeks with pack horses. He would load two wooden holders with the farmer’s butter and cheese, then take them down to the valley below to a dairy where the cheese was matured. Afterwards, the mature cheese was brought to market. The cow herdsmen and the dairyman worked together, somewhat like partners. One processed the milk and the other took away the dairy products to market. They relied on each other for the success of their livelihood.
A herdsman worked from dawn to dusk milking; feeding the animals; making cheese and butter; trimming hooves; clearing meadows for cows to graze; chopping wood; searching for strays; and more. Now, community alps are tended by several farmers in Appenzellerland and, instead of milking the cows by hand twice a day, regional milk processing companies take care of the process and take the milk from the herdsmen to cheesemaking dairies.
The natural organic, raw milk of the legendary Swiss brown cows is undoubtedly the number one key ingredient to making Appenzeller cheese. In the early summer months, the bovines are taken to the highest alp pastures to dine on the freshest new spring growth of grass, wildflowers and herbs. The flavors of the alpine diet blended with summer breezes and sunshine make happy cows, which in turn produce a flavorful enhanced milk for making cheese. Their diet is solely mountain grass fed.
But it wouldn’t be Appenzeller cheese without the secret brine. Hike the alps and visit the alpage, the higher meadows, to scout out herbaceous ingredients that could be included in the brine or visit the Appenzeller Schaukäserei. Showcased in the new demonstration area are clues to what’s in the secret mix. A strong scent of dried herbs permeates the air. A large rectangular table with fresh dried herbs in wooden buckets is available for visitors to shake out a few herbs and sniff the aroma. Each herb is labeled and a small cloth bag is offered to spoon in a mix of your own choosing to take home. Oregano, rosemary, sage and tarragon are just a few of the herbs that could be in the mix.
Nobody knows the exact herbs or measurement to create the brine and rub for the cheese, as it is under lock and key, but we do know that this method and technique produces the flavor and aroma unique to Appenzeller cheese. There’s a combination of 25 different herbs, roots, leaves, petals, seeds and bark that is said to make up the herb portion of the secret recipe. A brine is made from the herb mixture and the yeast from the local wines. The liquid brine is then frequently rubbed on the surface of the cheese along the rind during the aging process, which eventually permeates throughout the cheese.
Appenzeller cheese is aged from three to six months. As the cheese ages, it develops a nutty flavor, and the aromas and flavors from the herbal rub become more enhanced, lending to the spicy overtones. A few pea-sized holes dot the cheese. The rind gets thicker as it ages and varies from a brownish to orangish layer.
Types Of Appenzeller
All the hard cheeses are free from preservatives and additives, flavor enhancers, lactose and gluten.They are made with natural organic raw milk without additives. The production area is within the cantons of Appenzell Innerrhoden and Appenzell Ausserrhoden as well as parts of the cantons of St.Gallen and Thurgau.
Appenzeller Mildly Spicy
• Aged for three months
• Shape-size-weight: Round, diameter 11-13 in.,
height 2.5–3.5 in., average weight 13-15 lbs.
• Fat content: Min. 48% fat (dry weight)
• Cheese color: Ivory to light yellow
• Rind: Natural, yellow to reddish brown, pitted
Appenzeller Strongly Spicy
• Aged for four to five months
• Shape-size-weight: Round, diameter 11-13 in.,
height 2.5-3.5 in., average weight 13-15 lbs.
• Fat content: Min. 48% fat (dry weight)
• Cheese color: Ivory to light yellow
• Rind: Natural, reddish brown, pitted
Appenzeller Extra Spicy
• Aged: guaranteed six months
• Shape-size-weight: Round, diameter 11-13 in.,
height 2.5-3.5 in., average weight 13-15 lbs.
• Fat content: Min. 48% fat (dry weight)
• Cheese color: Ivory to light yellow
• Rind: Natural, reddish brown, pitted
Is It The Real Deal?
Quality mark
The casein mark guarantees the first-class quality of each individual cheese. It contains the cheese dairy number, guarantee of origin, production date and cheese number and enables each piece of Appenzeller cheese with rind to be checked for its authenticity.
Proof of origin
In the same way as a DNA test, the authenticity of even tiny pieces of Appenzeller cheese can now be clearly proven with the aid of lactic acid bacteria samples.
Learn More
Visit the Appenzeller Schaukäserei (Demonstration Dairy), where visitors can learn about the craft of making the special cheese as well as discover the customs and traditions of the dairymen and herdsmen of the region of Appenzell. View the cheese cellar and production areas where 1,200 wheels of cheese are stored. Enjoy tastings and private tours, too.
