🧀 Appenzeller

Appenzeller is a Swiss cheese made from raw cow's milk in the Appenzellerland of north-eastern Switzerland; during ripening it is cared for with a herbal brine.

According to the brand organisation SO Appenzeller Käse GmbH, it is made in about 40 village dairies in the cantons of Appenzell Innerrhoden and Appenzell Ausserrhoden and parts of St. Gallen and Thurgau, from natural raw milk without additives, from cows fed only herb grass and hay. During ripening each wheel is regularly cared for with Kräutersulz, a herbal brine whose exact composition is kept secret.

The wheel is round, 30–33 cm in diameter and 7–9 cm high, and weighs on average 6.5–6.7 kg. Fat is at least 48 % in dry matter. The rind is natural, yellow to reddish-brown; the paste is ivory to light yellow with a few pea-sized holes (3–6 mm).

The factsheets list four grades by ripening time, marked by the colour of the wheel label: Mild-Würzig (silver, at least 3 months), Kräftig-Würzig (gold, 4–5 months), Extra-Würzig (black, guaranteed 6 months) and Edel-Würzig (purple, guaranteed 9 months). Each wheel carries a casein mark with the dairy number, date of manufacture and wheel number, which allows its authenticity to be checked.