Bündner bergkäse

Bündner bergkäse (Bündner Mountain Cheese) is a semi-hard, full-fat cheese made from thermized mountain milk. Each wheel weighs around 4.5 kg, with a 27 cm diameter, and has a firm texture with very few holes. Produced year-round in village cheese dairies above 600 meters in altitude, it differs from Bündner Alpkäse, which is made seasonally in high-altitude alpine pastures.

The cheese is crafted using thermized milk, briefly heated to 68°C to remove harmful bacteria while preserving part of the milk’s natural flora for flavor. The milk is then curdled with rennet, cut into small curds, and heated to 41-47°C to remove excess moisture.

After pressing for 24 hours, the cheese is placed in a salt bath, which enhances flavor and helps form a natural rind. The cheese ages for at least three months in humid cellars, where it is regularly brushed with salted water to encourage the growth of beneficial bacteria, yeasts, and molds, giving it its distinct aroma and reddish-brown rind.

 

Historically, the 1950s marked the official introduction of Bündner bergkäse, with further refinements in the 1970s, leading to its reputation as one of Switzerland’s most well-known mountain cheeses.  Read more