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Fermentation Atlas

Cooked alpine cheeses

Curd cooked to about 52–56 °C and pressed into large wheels, like Gruyère and Comté.

56 entries listed here.

How these cheeses are made

The shared make of cooked hard alpine cheese family (comté, gruyère and emmentaler as templates). Each cheese below says what it does differently.

  1. Set the milk in a copper vatup to 40 °C
  2. Cut the curd very fine30 min
  3. Cook the curdat least 30 min · 52–59 °C
  4. Collect the curd and press itat least 6 h · at least 12 °C
  5. Saltup to 3 days
  6. Pre-ripen in a cool cellarat least 5 days · 10–16 °C
  7. Warm cellar for eyes (eyed types only)42–56 days · 19–24 °C
  8. Ripen for months on spruce boardsat least 3.9 months · 5–19 °C

Compare them

CheeseRegionMilkRipeningRind
Abondance PDOFrance, Haute-SavoieRaw whole milk from Abondance, Tarentaise and Montbéliarde cows, at least 45% Abondance breedAt least 100 days from renneting
Allgäuer Bergkäse PDOGermany, the AllgäuRaw cow milk from the Allgäu, not heated above 40 °C before renneting4 months
Allgäuer Emmentaler PDOGermany, the AllgäuRaw cow milk from the Allgäu, not heated above 40 °C before renneting3 months, including at least 4 weeks at 20 °C or more in a fermentation cellar
Allgäuer Sennalpkäse PDOGermany, Bavaria, the alpine mountain area of the Allgäu districts Ostallgäu, Oberallgäu and Lindau, at 800 m or higherRaw cow milk from the alp; evening milk usually skimmedAt least 3 months (wheels up to 15 kg) or 4 months (over 15 kg)
AppenzellerAppenzell Innerrhoden and Ausserrhoden, and parts of St. Gallen and Thurgau, SwitzerlandRaw cow milk from cows fed only grass and hayAt least 3 months (Mild-Würzig); 4–5 months (Kräftig-Würzig)
Asiago PDO (pressato/d'allevo)Veneto/Trentinocow milk, whole for Fresco and part-skimmed by creaming for StagionatoFresco at least 20 days; stagionato at least 90 days (mezzano over 4 months, vecchio over 10, stravecchio over 15)
BagòssItaly, Lombardy, province of Brescia, the commune of BagolinoRaw cow milk, partly skimmed by creamingAt least 6 months (proposed PDO rules); 12–24 months in the regional product sheet
Beaufort PDOSavoie, FranceRaw whole cow milk from Tarine and Abondance herdsAt least 5 months at 6–12 °C
Berner Alpkäse / Berner Hobelkäse AOPSwitzerland, Bernese Oberland summer pasturesRaw milk from cows on alpine summer pastures, made daily on the alpAlpkäse at least 4½ months; Hobelkäse at least 18 months
Bitto PDO and Storico RibelleItaly, Lombardy, the province of SondrioRaw whole cow milk from one milking, up to 10% goat milk (10–20% for Storico Ribelle)At least 70 days (PDO); at least 12 months (Storico Ribelle); can age for years
BranziItaly, Lombardia2–12 months
Bregenzerwälder Alpkäse and BergkäseAustria, Vorarlberg2–3 days
Comté PDOFrance, Jura massifRaw milk from within a 25 km circle, cooled straight after milking to 10–18 °C and heated to no more than 40 °C before rennetingOn spruce boards for at least 120 days from the making date, the fermentation cellar at 19 °C or below
Emmental de Savoie PGIFrance, Savoie and Haute-SavoieRaw cow milk only; the coarse fodder comes entirely from the areaAt least 75 days from making to leaving the cellars
Emmental français Est-Central PGIFrance, Doubs, Haute-Marne, Haute-Saône, Jura, Territoire de Belfort and VosgesRaw cow milk; grazing for at least 6 months a year; all basic fodder from the areaAt least 12 weeks (84 days) from making; 6 weeks for standard French Emmental
Emmentaler AOPSwitzerlandRaw cow milk from silage-free farms, made into cheese within 24 hoursAt least 4 months in the area; warm cellar 30–70 days at 19–24 °C
Fontina PDOItaly, the whole Aosta ValleyWhole raw or thermised milk of Valdostana cows, from one or more consecutive milkings, processed within 40 h of the first milkingAt least 80 days at 4–12 °C and RH 90% or more; at least 180 days for "lunga stagionatura"
Formaggio d'Alpe grassoItaly, Lombardiaat least 6 monthsHard, straw yellow, darker straw if treated with linseed oil
Formaggio d'alpe ticinese AOPSwitzerland, Ticino, summer alpine farmsAt least 60 days; grading may start from day 45 with lab results
Formai de Mut dell'Alta Valle Brembana PDOItaly, Lombardy, upper Brembana valleyAt least 45 days; 'Riserva' after more than 6 months
Fromages du Jura / Jurabergkäse (Chaux-d'Abel, Grand Chaux-d'Abel, Moron, Fornet)Switzerland, the Bernese Jura and canton of Juraat least 2.5 months
Gailtaler Almkäse PDOAustria, Carinthia, alpine pastures of the Upper Gail valleyRaw alpine cow milk, with goat milk up to 10 %At least 7 weeks; 5 weeks for use in the alpine dairies' own restaurants; 75 days if airtight-packed
Garda TremosineItaly, LombardiaBrown Alpine cows only, attested by a voluntary breed certification12 months – 2 yearsThick, hard, oiled with refined linseed oil, dark straw to brown; not edible
Glarner AlpkäseSwitzerland, canton of Glarusat least 2 monthsFirm, cared-for smear rind that dries with age
Graviera AgrafonGreece, the Agrafa area of Karditsa prefectureEwe milk, or ewe milk with at most 30 % goat milk; thermised or pasteurised3 months in all; at least 3 months in the EU summary
Graviera Kritis PDOGreece, CreteSheep milk, or sheep milk mixed with goat milkAt least 3 months at 14–18 °C, with up to 10 surface saltings
Graviera Naxou PDOGreece, Cyclades, the island of NaxosCow milk, with sheep or goat milk not over 20 % of the milk weight70–80 days at 15 °C
Greviera di OzieriItaly, Sardegnaat least 3 monthsFirm, smooth or slightly rough, straw yellow turning darker
Großwalsertaler Bergkäse ('Walserstolz')Austria, Vorarlberg8–12 monthsGranular, yellow-brown to brown
Gruyère (French IGP)France, Savoie, Haute-Savoie, Ain, Jura, Doubs, Haute-Saône, Côte-d'Or, Haute-Marne and nearbyAt least 120 days after rennetingRubbed, solid, grainy, golden to brown
Hartkäse Gran Spicchio & Gran Dolomiti (Formaggio duro)Italy, Trentino-Alto Adige, Prov. Bolzano6–15 monthsHard, thick, rustic, dark straw
HerrgårdsostSwedenPasteurised cow milkMore than 3 months at 10–18 °CHard, springy and dry, paraffin-coated
Kars Gravyer PeyniriTürkiye, Kars province6–12 months in all
L'EtivazSwitzerland, Vaud AlpsRaw milk from the alp's own summer pasture; whole morning milk plus naturally skimmed evening milk; no silageUntil at least day 135; à rebibes dried at least 30 monthsSlightly moist, evenly brownish smear (morge); à rebibes: smear removed, smooth, dry, yellowish
Le Gruyère AOPSwitzerland, cantons of Fribourg, Vaud, Neuchâtel and Jura, and parts of the canton of BernRaw milk from cows fed no silage, delivered twice a day from within 20 km, never cooled below 15 °CAt least 5 months at 12–18 °C on unplaned spruce boards in humid cellars
Montasio PDOItaly, all of Friuli-Venezia Giulia, the provinces of Belluno and Treviso, and parts of Padua and VeniceCow milk from the production area only, raw or thermised, never pasteurisedAt least 60 days; at least 12 months for grating
Monte BaldoItaly, Trentino-Alto Adige, Prov. Trento7 months – 4 yearsSmooth or slightly rough, fairly thick, straw-yellow to light brown
MontegraneroItaly, Piemonteat least 4 monthsHard, smooth, deep straw or light brown, sometimes with moulds
Nanoški sir PDOSlovenia, the upper part of the Vipava valleyCow milk, at least 80 % Brown breed, heat-treated at 63–69 °CAt least 60 days
Nostrano Valtrompia PDOItaly, LombardiaRaw milk from at least 90% Brown Swiss cows, part-skimmed by creaming for 10–48 hoursAt least 12 months after salting
Obwaldner AlpkäseSwitzerland, canton of ObwaldenFrom three months; mature at about eight months; can be kept two years
Piave PDOItaly, Venetoat least 20 days
Queso ColoniaUruguay, Colonia department10–12 days
San Michali PDOGreece, island of SyrosAt least 4 months at 14–16 °C and 85 % humidity
Silter PDOItaly, LombardyAt least 100 days
Swiss semi-hard regional Alpkäse (Bündner, St. Galler, Urner, Nidwaldner, Schwägalp)Switzerland, eastern and central Alps2–6 months
Tiroler Almkäse/Alpkäse PDOAustria, TyrolRaw milk from cows grazed on Tyrolean alpine pastures, partly skimmedAbout 4½ to 6 months
Tiroler BergkäseAustria, Tyrolat least 3 monthsSmeared and dried on, brownish-yellow to brown
Tolminc PDOSlovenia, Zgornje PosočjeRaw or thermised cow milk, at least 80 % from brown cowsAt least 60 days
Valle d'Aosta Fromadzo PDOItaly, the whole Autonomous Region of Valle d'AostaCow milk from at least two milkings, partly skimmed by resting; a little goat milk allowedAt least 60 days, up to 8–10 months
Valtellina Casera PDOItaly, Lombardy, the whole province of SondrioPartly skimmed cow milk of traditional breedsAt least 70 days; well-aged cheese can be grated
VästerbottensostSweden, VästerbottenPasteurised cow milk from northern SwedenAt least 14 months; an extra-aged type at least 24 months
VezzenaItaly, TrentinoRaw cow milk of two milkings, partly skimmed by creaming; Presidium cheese only from summer alpine-pasture milkAt least 4 months (mezzano), 1 year (vecchio) or over 2 years (stravecchio) in the PAT sheet; the Presidium sells it at 18 or 24 months
Vorarlberger Alpkäse PDOAustria, Vorarlberg, officially recognised alpine farms and Vorsäß/Maisäß pastures at about 1,000–1,800 mRaw alpine cow milk, silage-free; evening milk partly skimmed by handAt least 3 months at 10–17 °CDried, grainy, yellowish-brown to brown
Vorarlberger Bergkäse PDOAustria, VorarlbergRaw cow milk from Vorarlberg, partly skimmed; no silage or fermented feedAt least 3 monthsSmear-ripened to dried, brownish-yellow to brown and granular
Pleasant Ridge ReserveUnited States, WisconsinMilk from about 150 crossbred cows grazing 500 acres, used only while the cows are on pastureAged 9 months or more (producer)

Bold names have a full page with the animated steps. Blank cells: no sourced value yet.

Short entries

What the sources record about each of these so far.

Pleasant Ridge ReserveUnited States, Wisconsin

An Alpine-style farmstead cheese from Wisconsin, made only while the herd is on pasture, and likened by its maker to alpage Beaufort and Gruyère. The farm ages it at least nine months in open-air caves.

Milk
Milk from about 150 crossbred cows grazing 500 acres, used only while the cows are on pasture
Ripening
Aged 9 months or more (producer)

Made like Cooked hard alpine cheese family (Comté, Gruyère and Emmentaler as templates).

Numbers come from cited sources and carry a label that says how each is known. How this atlas is made