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cheesenotes: Today’s cheese is Appenzeller Käserei Tufertschwil, a superb specimen from a ubiquitous Swiss cheese. Swiss cheese has seen a renaissance in the last decade, thanks to changes in the Swiss government’s policies regarding subsidies for the cheese industry (previously they had aggressively, and even oppressively, subsidized and pushed the big industrial cheeses that we now think of as “Swiss Cheese”) and with it has come new awareness of the great farmstead and artisan cheeses of Switzerland. The recently published “Swiss Cheese: Origins, Traditional Cheese Varieties and New Creations” is an excellent resource if you want to delve further into the subject. One of my favorite Swiss alpines is Challerhocker, produced by master cheesemaker Walter Rass of Käserei Tufertschwil in Toggenburg, in the canton of St. Gallen (The region is also known as “Appenzellerland”, and there is even breed of mountain dog known as the Appenzell). Challerhocker is a reimagined version of the traditional Appenzeller recipe, in which curd size, aging times, and brines have all been tweaked to produce a complex, inspiring variation on the traditional alpine cheese.  Rass has his roots in the production of traditional Appenzeller, and his Appenzeller’s are nothing to sneeze at either, considered some of the best in Switzerland. This version had the black label which denotes “Extra Aged” (quick label lesson: for swiss cheeses, Silver=”Classic”, or aged three to four months, Gold=”Surchoix”, or aged four to six months, and Black=”Extra Aged”, aged six months or longer). Rass, in a practice highly unusual at this point, makes his own Rennet rather than purchasing it from a culture house; this exemplifies the care and attention to detail that goes into the production of all of his cheeses. The Appenzeller is a raw cow’s milk firm cheese, made with partially skimmed milk, that is washed with a brine that is a blend of wine and diverse herbs, and aged at least ten months.  Young Appenzeller’s can be a little bit bland, your run of the mill sandwich cheese, but with aging comes a deepening and complexity in the flavor. The golden paste, lightly eyed, has a dense and smooth texture; the aroma is subtle but enveloping, fruity and grassy. The flavor of this Appenzeller is rich, spicy, meaty and nutty, with herbaceous, butterscotch and pineapple notes, melting on the palette.  Purchased at Murray’s. 
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kairosjournal: http://kairosjournal.tumblr.com
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squid81: Swiss Alps landscape by ceca67 on Flickr.
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petrich0rr: (by Bills Was There!)