A semi-hard cheese with a tangy rind washed in a herbal brine whose recipe is a guarded trade secret — the company says only a handful of people know it. Cheese is documented in Appenzell from the thirteenth century.
The washed rind depends on repeated brine washing with a specific herbal preparation in a cellar held at controlled temperature and humidity — and the brine recipe itself is a trade secret.
What goes into it
- raw cow’s milk
- rennet
- the Sulz — a herbal brine of wine, cider and up to 25 herbs
- salt
How it is made
Raw milk is set with rennet, the curd cut fine and scalded, then pressed into wheels and brined. Through ripening each wheel is washed repeatedly with the herbal Sulz, which feeds the surface bacteria and drives the flavour inward. The wheels ripen for three to eight months depending on the grade.
How long it takes: three to eight months of washing and ripening
How it is eaten
In slices with bread, melted into fondue and rösti, or with a glass of white.
History
Made in Appenzell, where cheese is documented from the thirteenth century; the herbal brine recipe is a guarded trade secret.
Frequently asked questions
What is Appenzeller?
Appenzeller is a cheese & dairy from Switzerland: semi-hard cheese with a tangy rind washed in herbal brine. Made in Appenzell, where cheese is documented from the thirteenth century; the herbal brine recipe is a guarded trade secret.
How is Appenzeller made?
Raw milk is set with rennet, the curd cut fine and scalded, then pressed into wheels and brined. Through ripening each wheel is washed repeatedly with the herbal Sulz, which feeds the surface bacteria and drives the flavour inward. The wheels ripen for three to eight months depending on the grade. It takes three to eight months of washing and ripening.
Can I make Appenzeller at home?
No, and the atlas gives no method for it. The washed rind depends on repeated brine washing with a specific herbal preparation in a cellar held at controlled temperature and humidity — and the brine recipe itself is a trade secret.
What goes into Appenzeller?
Raw cow’s milk, rennet, the Sulz — a herbal brine of wine, cider and up to 25 herbs, salt.
How is Appenzeller eaten?
In slices with bread, melted into fondue and rösti, or with a glass of white.
