Eurotalia - 2019
Bavarian Cheeses
“The mountainous regions and the pastureland of Upper Bavaria and Allgäu propose ideal conditions for the milk industry” Christine METZGER declared in 2000 in L’Allemagne se met à table (translated from French by a french Hetalian). The Free State of Bavaria, a south-eastern region of Germany, has a lot of culinary specialities especially dairy products. Belgian and Swiss cheese-makers came in the small kingdom in the XIXth century in order to help the local producers to develop their business and the result was a conclusive one : at the beginning of the XXIth century the Land used to produce 11 000 tons of cheese every week, a third of the German production. Whether you drink a good Franconian wine or a Weiβbier, you will always find a cheese to go along !
TABLE OF CONTENTS
_Bavaria and cheese, a sweet story _The Bavarian Road of Milk and Cheese _Some cheeses to know Protected Designations of Origin (PDO)
A PGI cheesy speciality : Obazda
Bavaria and cheese, a sweet story
It is considered today that the inhabitants of the Allgäu, a Swabian region in south-west of Bavaria, have been making cheese since the IXth century. The shepherds who were living in the alpine pastures used to produce cheese with the milk of their own cows. 1821 was an important year because that year came Swiss cheese-makers in the Allgäu. They had indeed been called by the merchant Joseph STADLER who was willing to produce his own Emmental to avoid the importation of expensive foreign cheeses. His new cheese met an unexpected success and with the industrialization of the countryside a lot of Bavarians – especially the weavers who were getting ruined by the American concurrence for cotton – began producing their own cheese as well. Meanwhile another merchant called Carl HIRNBEIN called for his part Belgian counterparts to make his own Herve cheese, Limburger in German, as Eurotalia - 2019 well as its little brother the Remoudou (Romadur). The 1840s were marked by an impressive rise of the dairy industry in Bavaria. The war between the French empire and the kingdom of Prussia in 1870 impacts the economy of the small kingdom and in order to save their company the brothers KRAMER create a new soft cheese affinate during more than a year : the Weiβlacker. The success is so big that even the king Ludwig II gives the brothers a patent, which makes it the very first patented cheese in the world ! With the deindustrialisation in the 1960s the production of milk slowly decreases eve, if it stays of major importance compared to the whole country. In 1997 the Emmental and the Bergkäse of the Allgäu both get the PDO label that protects them on a European level, followed in 2015 by the Weiβlacker – the Obazda gets the PGI label the same year – and in 2016 by the Sennalpkäse.
The Bavarian Road of Milk and Cheese
Dedicated to all the cheese and Bavaria lovers, the Bavarian Road of Milk and Cheese – in German Die Bayerische Milch- und Käsestraβe – makes you discover the region in a pretty delicious way. From Swiss Franconia to Bavarian Alps by way of the Main and Danube valleys, explore the dairies dispersed through the biggest Land of Germany.
Here is the map of your trip :
All the information are available on the Verband für handwerkliche Milchverarbeitung im ökologischen Landbau e.V.’s website : https://www.hofkaese.de/milchundkaesestrassen/bayern Eurotalia - 2019
Some cheeses to know
The Protected Designations of Origin (PDO) :
Bavaria has got four cheese with the PDO label – in German geschützte Ursprungsbezeichnung (g.U.) – in other words produced according to a recognised know-how in a specific geographical area and with a strict specification, which gives the cheese a real authenticity. They are all produces in the Allgäu : in the Landkreise (in English districts) of Lindau, Oberallgäu, Ostallgäu, Unterallgäu and the cities of Kaufbeuren, Kempten and Memmingen with also the Landkreise of Bodenseekreis and Ravensburg in the Land of Bade- Württemberg.
o Bergkäse of the Allgäu
Raw cow milk Hard pressed cheese
The Bergkäse of the Allgäu is protected since 1997 and can only be produced in the eponym region with the local milk. It exists since the 1840s when the milk industry has developed in Bavaria. The evening milk Allgäuer Bergkäse g.U. waits until the morning to be mixed with the morning Credit : www.allgaeuer-bergkaese.de milk and then be turned into cheese. A wheel weighs from 15 to 50 kg (35 to 110 lb) and has a diameter of 40 to 90 cm (16 to 35 inches). It is 8 to 10 cm large (3 to 4 inches). During the maturation phase the rind is washed twice a week with brine and it is two or three times a week turned upside down during two months. A second phase comes next and the cheese can be sold when it has reached four months. The Bergkäse is characterised by an intense aroma of hazelnut and a limited number of small holes. Delicious in Käsespätzle (a cheesy pasta Swabian speciality), it is also very good to make sauces or cut in dices in a salad.
o Emmental of the Allgäu
Raw cow milk Hard pressed cheese
The Emmental of the Allgäu is the little brother of the Bergkäse, protected since 1997 as well. It comes from the Swiss canton of Bern where it is at least produces since the XVIIIth century. In 1821 a Allgäuer Emmentaler g.U. merchant of Lindenberg (Allgäu) called Joseph Crédit : www.kaesealp.de STADLER called Swiss for help so that he could make his own Emmental and thus he created the first one of this type in Bavaria. The production rose in the 1840s with the industrialisation of the country. As for Bergkäse, Eurotalia - 2019 the evening milk is mixed with the morning one, milk which has to be produced in the Allgäu as well. At the beginning it was only made with summer milk but nowadays it is produced all year round. A wheel weighs between 40 and 130 kg (90 to 285 lb). It is matured with brine and is regularly turned upside down on a maturation phase that lasts from 3 to twelve months. The Emmental of the Allgäu is characterised by the famous cherry-sized holes everywhere inside and a specific hazelnut aroma. It is ideal to make Käsespätzle, in a salad or to appreciate with wine as well as for a Brotzeit.
o Sennalpkäse of the Allgäu
Raw cow milk Hard pressed cheese
This cheese is handmade according to the tradition of the herdsmen (in German Senn); it is for instance let in a salty bath during three days after the pressing stage. Then they wash the rind every two days with brine during the maturation phase. The Sennalpkäse is protected since 2016 and was already produced in the XVIIth century. It contains a lot of carotenoids, terpenes and unsaturated fat, nutriments that are healthy. Where does it come from ? The quality of alpine pastures : livestock can graze in the mountains over 800 m and provide this very specific milk essential to produce Sennalpkäse. Their production is limited to the Landkreise of Ostallgäu, Oberallgäu ad Lindau and with only summer milk (from May to October). A wheel of Allgäuer Sennalpkäse g.U. Sennalpkäse weighs from 5 to 35 kg (11 to 77 lb). Crédit : www.stmelf.bayern.de It is distinguished by a prickly to strongly spicy taste and hazelnut aroma for the youngest (until three months) and nuts and wood fire aromas for the more matured (from four months). Small peas-sized holes scatter the inside.
o Weiβlacker of the Allgäu Also called : Bierkäse, Bayerischer Bierkäse
Cow milk Soft cheese
The Weiβlacker of the Allgäu is a creation of the KRAMER brothers. After the French- Prussian war of 1870 the Bavarian economic situation has worsened and the demand for Allgäuer Weiβlacker g.U. cheese has decreased. The cheese-maker Crédit : www.spezialitaetenland-bayern.de brothers try some experiences in order to prevent a definitive closure : they would like to develop a long-term storage cheese by increasing the amount of fat and salt – today 45 % of fat and 5 % salt on the final Eurotalia - 2019 product. They let their invention in a cellar and more or less forgot about it until they find it again a year later : the taste convinced them and they launched the production. Success came quickly and even the king Ludwig II gave them a patent in 1876, that makes the Weiβlacker of the Allgäu the very first patented cheese of the world. It is besides the only really indigenous cheese since the others find their origin in Belgium or Switzerland. The production area matches the Emmental’s one even though it is in reality only produced in Sonthofen in the Oberallgäu Landkreis. The maturation phase lasts from twelve to fifteen months. This cheese is white and is covered with a slight greasy but not sticky film. It has a very strong scent and a prickly and salty taste. You can enjoy it cold as starters or during a Brotzeit especially with pretzels or Allgäu Bockwürste – its other name “Bierkäse” (Beercheese) comes from the idea it makes you want to drink something and is associated to beer consumption – or warm for instance in a pastry or fried or even in Käsespätzle where it brings a very aromatic touch.
A PGI cheesy speciality, Obazda :
Obazda – obatzter or obatzda according to the dialect – is a cheesy typically Bavarian recipe with soft cheese, butter, onions, spices and a dash of liquid (beer, cream, milk…). It is prepared for instance for Brotzeit, a Bavarian snack popular in the Biergarten of the capital. At the beginning a second breakfast it has nowadays become a gourmet break taken anytime in the day where people gather together to eat cooked meats, pretzels and of course obazda. It is said to be eaten for more than a hundred and fifty years ! It was invented to avoid the waste of the cheeses that did ripen too much and became very popular. The word obazda comes from the Bavarian “obatzn” that means mash, stir in English. It is also called “Gerupfter” in Franconia. Bayerisches Kochbuch (1931), a reference book about Bavarian cuisine advises to eat it with brown bread but you can of course choose everything you like even a pretzel. The more the cheese got ripe, the better it is for your obazda ! It has to give out a strong scent and an intense flavour. And as they say in Bavaria : “Leben und leben lassen. Das heißt in Bayern: Jeder pflegt die guten alten Rezepte … auf seine Weise* !” (Milchland-bayern.de).
Obazda served with mini-pretzels, chives and red onions Credit : www.sat1.de Eurotalia - 2019
Obazda has received in 2015 the Protected Geographical Indication (PGI) – in German geschützte geographische Anlage (g.g.A.), a label that protects in the European realm this preparation which is, according to the purists, composed only with cheese, butter, paprika and salt. The PGI specification states that the obazda has to contain at least 40 % of camembert or brie and at least 50 % of cheese. The proportion of onion and beer cannot exceed 15 %. The production geographical limits match with the borders of the Free State of Bavaria.
*: Live and let live. It means in Bavaria: everyone keeps the good old recipes going… in their own way !
Go further :
Allgäuer Käsestraβe e.V. (2018) Geschichte des Käse im Allgäu. Weiler im Allgäu : Allgäuer Käsestraβe [online]. Available from : https://www.xn--allguer- ksestrasse-otbf.de/von-der-wiese-auf-den-teller/geschichte/ [Accessed 1st August 2019] (German)
Androuet (no date) Le fromage en Allemagne. Neuilly-sur-Seine : Androuet.com [online]. Available from : http://androuet.com/Le%20fromage%20en%20Allemagne-118-guide- fromage.html [Accessed 29th July 2019] (French)
Bayerische Landesanstalt für Landwirtschaft (no date) Fachinformation zur Herstellung von « Obazda/Obatzter » g.g.A. in der Gastronomie. Freising : lfl.bayern.de [online]. Available from : https://www.lfl.bayern.de/iem/herkunftsbezeichnungen/175617/index.php [Accessed 24th July 2019] (German)
Bayerisches Staatsministerium für Ernährung, Landwirtschaft und Forsten (no date) Allgäuer Emmentaler. Munich : spezialitaetenland-bayern.de [online]. Available from : https://www.spezialitaetenland- bayern.de/spezialitaeten/allgaeuer-emmentaler/ [Accessed 30th July 2019] (German)
Bayerisches Staatsministerium für Ernährung, Landwirtschaft und Forsten (no date) Allgäuer Sennalpkäse. Munich : spezialitaetenland-bayern.de [online]. Available from : https://www.spezialitaetenland- bayern.de/spezialitaeten/allgaeuer-sennalpkaese/ [Accessed 31st July 2019] (German)
Eurotalia - 2019
Bayerisches Staatsministerium für Ernährung, Landwirtschaft und Forsten (no date) Allgäuer Weiβlacker. Munich : spezialitaetenland-bayern.de [online]. Available from : https://www.spezialitaetenland- bayern.de/spezialitaeten/allgaeuer-weisslacker/ [Accessed 1st August 2019] (German)
Bayerisches Staatsministerium für Ernährung, Landwirtschaft und Forsten (2016) Allgäuer Sennalpkäse jetzt europaweit geschützt. Munich : stmelf.bayern.de [online]. Available from : https://www.stmelf.bayern.de/service/presse/pm/2016/136881/index.php [Accessed 31st July 2019] (German)
BAYERN TOURISMUS Marketing GmbH(2019) Allgäuer Bergkäse or Allgäu mountain cheese. Munich : bavaria.by [online]. Available from : https://www.bavaria.by/experiences/food-drink/bavarian-specialties/allgaeuer- bergkaese-or-allgaeu-mountain-cheese/ [Accessed 29th July 2019] (English)
BAYERN TOURISMUS Marketing GmbH (2019) Milch und Käse aus Bayern. Munich : bayern.by [online]. Available from : https://www.bayern.by/erlebnisse/essen-trinken/spezialitaeten/milch-kaese- bayern/ [Accessed 30th July 2019] (allemand)
HOFMANN, M., LYDTIN, H., (2007) Bayerisches Kochbuch. Tutzing : Birken- Verlag GmbH (56th edition, original in 1931) (German)
MBW Marketinggesellschaft mbH (no date) Allgäuer Emmentaler g.U.. Stuttgart : schmeck-den-sueden.de [online]. Available from : https://www.schmeck-den-sueden.de/spezialitaet/allgauer-emmentaler-g-u/ [Accessed 30th July 2019] (German)
METZGER, C. (2000) L’Allemagne se met à table (original German version : Culinaria. Deutsche Spezialitäten, 1999). Cologne : Könemann Verlagsgesellschaft mbH (French)
NEHER, J., (no date) Allgäuer Bergkäse. Lindau : Alles über Käse [online]. Available from : https://www.kaesewelten.info/kasesorten/kuhmilch/allgauer- bergkase/ [Accessed 31st July 2019] (German)
NEHER, J., (no date) Allgäuer Emmentaler. Lindau : Alles über Käse [online]. Available from : https://www.kaesewelten.info/kasesorten/kuhmilch/allgauer- emmentaler/ [Accessed 31st July 2019] (German)
NEHER, J., (no date) Allgäuer Sennalpkäse. Lindau : Alles über Käse [online]. Available from : https://www.kaesewelten.info/kasesorten/kuhmilch/allgauer- sennalpkase/ [Accessed 31st July 2019] (German)
Eurotalia - 2019
NEHER, J., (no date) Allgäuer Weiβlacker. Lindau : Alles über Käse [online]. Available from : https://www.kaesewelten.info/kasesorten/kuhmilch/weislacker/ [Accessed 31st July 2019] (German)
PAXMANN, C., (2018) 100 bayerische Gerichte, die jeder kennen muss. Munich : BLV Buchverlag GmbH & Co. KG
Oberstdorfer Käse-Alp (no date) Allgäuer Emmentaler. Oberstdorf : kaesealp.de [online]. Available from : https://www.kaesealp.de/produkt- allgaeuer-emmentaler.html?products_id=5613 [Accessed 30th July 2019]. (German)
Sennerei Schweineberg (2017) Allgäuer Bergkäse. Ofterschwang : allgaeuer- bergkaese.de [online]. Available from : https://www.allgaeuer- bergkaese.de/allgaeuer-bergkaese/ [Accessed 29th July 2019] (German)
Verband für handwerkliche Milchverarbeitung im ökologischen Landbau e.V. (2019) Die bayerische Milch-& Käsestrasse. Freising : hofkaese.de [online]. Available from : https://www.hofkaese.de/milchundkaesestrassen/bayern [Accessed 1st August 2019] (German)