Queso Suizo Project
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Savory Surprise from Stein am Rhein

Good things come in small packages. What could it be?


Cheese, of course! I can't remember the last time I shared with readers a new-to-me cheese for my Queso Suizo project -- for shame! At long last here is a creamy cow's milk cheese called "Chäs Stei."


Here's the shop where I made my purchase:
Chäs Graf
Oberstadt 1
8260 Stein am Rhein


I love the labels they use there...


and the packaging!


Taste Test: Well, I brought this home to share with Isaiah, but he wasn't having it. "It's got that weird rind," he said. Fine then that means more for me.


This cheese has a very creamy texture (and not just because it partly melted on the train ride back home -- it was still just as creamy the next day after spending 24 hours in the fridge) and a flavor very similar to Brie, but slightly more pungent. I have to say, this hasn't been my favorite cheese. Not because it isn't delicious, but because I'm hung up on the flavor of hard alpine cheeses. Also, I prefer something that I can really sink my teeth into and isn't so messy. Nonetheless, I am glad I tried it, especially since I seem to stick to trying variations of the same kind of cheese. Bor-ing. I shall try to continue to extend my cheese horizons...

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Queso Suizo Project: Alp Vals (Seewis)

If you caught my post on Monday, then you know we recently had the pleasure of participating in an Alpkäsedegustation, or Alpine cheese tasting, which involved voting for our top three choices. It was a "blind" competition, that is we had no idea what each cheese was called or from whence it came, so we voted using a number that was assigned to each cheese. Sixteen different alpine cheeses competed for the coveted "Expertenpreis" as well as a "Publikumpreis," which was essentially a people's choice award.

Although none of my top three made it in the expert category, my second choice (#5: Alp Vals from Seewis, host village of the Alp Spektakel) made it in the top three of the people's choice category. In fact, #5 appeared on Isaiah's top three list as well as our two friends' lists. Since this cheese was the only one Isaiah and I both agreed was top-three-worthy, that's the one we chose to take home with us.

Alp Vals cheese is creamy and buttery with a little kick to it. Although a bit funky-smelling, the odor isn't too strong and actually enhances the cheese's rich, distinguished flavor.

Bottomline: Scrumptious enough to please the both of us and make it on the people's choice list -- that's quite an accomplished cheese!



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The Queso Suizo Project: Herdsmen Cheese

Months ago, when I first started the Queso Suizo Project, a friend asked me to select my favorite cheese thus far. At that point, I felt I didn't have enough cheese in my repertoire to give a satisfactory answer -- but maybe that was just an excuse for not having found one that I was crazy about.

The time has come, and I am now ready to share my truly favorite cheese thus far. For the most part, I have been sampling cow's milk cheeses, with a goat cheese thrown in there. I've now deduced that perhaps cow's milk doesn't do it for me because my favorite is this semi-hard sheep's milk cheese.

Labeled "Hirtenkäse," or herdsmen cheese, it has by far won my heart. Earlier this week, Isaiah and I enjoyed it with some green grapes. We exchanged no words, just mmms. Its black rind was a bit off-putting at first, but when I read the label and noticed it was made with sheep's milk, I knew I had to give it a try. It's salty, buttery, and rich. Of all the cheeses I've tried, this one really gives the impression of melting in my mouth.

Bottom line: My very favorite.

To my readers in la Suisse romande, I've been looking for some good cheeses from your region, but can't seem to find them here. The cheese counters in these parts tend to carry mostly local cheeses. I will continue my search...

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The QSP: Bio Bündner and a Swiss cheese intensity index

For our cheese purchase this week we returned to an old favorite, only this time I thought we should try a different variety.

The last Bündner Bergkäse we tried was from Migros and came already packaged. Although it was quite intense (kräftig) and delicious, I am always on the hunt for more, and Coop sells a Pro Montagna variety that I have been meaning to buy for months.

This lovely hard cheese, from the Graubünden region, is of the mittelreif instensity, bio (organic), and its sales support local farmers and their families. It's delicately strong flavored, mild odored, and perfect for my cheese platter. I think the next time I pick up a Bündner cheese I'll head to Coop for this exact type.

Bottom line: Everything I expect from a mountain cheese, plus some extra perks.


One last thing -- I thought I'd jot down a list of some of the labels I've come across that "measure" the intensity or maturity of cheese:

kräftig - strong
surchoix - top choice
mittelreif - medium maturity
rezent - tart or sour

Do you know any other labels I should add?

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The QSP: Heidi Blütenkäse

I am a sucker for edible flowers. When my mom gave me an ice cream maker for Christmas one year, the first thing I made was lavender gelato. I was the only one in my house who ate it. So when I saw mountain flowers pressed into Heidi's newest cheese product, I had to try it. Surprisingly, everyone else around wanted to try it too (Kerry and Fiona were in town at the time).

I'm happy to report that this cheese is quite frankly delicious. Unfortunately, I believe this has nothing to do with the flowers. In fact, the flowers are pretty superficial. I was hoping for a hint of floral goodness, and I got nothing, which was completely disappointing. Although the mountain flowers make for an attractive cheese presentation, they are just for show.

Because I can find other cheeses that are equally tasty, I probably won't be buying this one again, unless its on Aktion.

Bottom line: Don't be fooled by the flowers.
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The QS Project: Savogniner Halbfett

a.k.a. A cheese misadventure

I should have known better. Fat is a good thing when it comes to flavor, though not so much when it comes to the waistline. So, what was I thinking when I decided to try a "low-fat" variety of cheese? Perhaps I was thinking that all this cheese project stuff is going to catch up with me soon and I had better be a bit more cautious with my cheese choices.

You'd think I would have learned my lesson after a very unpleasant experience with low-fat cheddar back in California and vowing never again to buy low-fat cheese. What it came down to was this reasoning, "Hey, if anyone can pull off low-fat cheese maybe it's the Swiss."

The cheese didn't let me down right away, though. Yes, the smell was offensive, but in the good stinky-cheese way (despite the light aroma note on the label: Aromatisch leicht). I figured that if it smelled like other yummy mountain cheeses then maybe it would taste yummy too! The real test, of course, was the taste test. My problem before with the low-fat cheddar was that it lacked flavor. It was essentially flavorless. This time, though, the "half-fat" Savogniner, which hails from the Graubünden region, was indeed packed with flavor - a terrible one.

However, being one not to waste food, I got rid of it by melting it in a Käsewähe, overshadowed by a more favorable Gruyère.

Bottom line: It will be Vollfettkäse from now on or nothing.

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The Queso Suizo Project: Goat Cheese

I am very pleased to introduce the first-ever goat cheese to be featured in The Queso Suizo Project. Up until now, I have been sampling Swiss cheeses made only from cow's milk, but I have finally branched out to include this fine Geiss Chäs Spitzberg.

This beauty was on Aktion at the Migros cheese counter last week, and I was eager to give it a try. At triple the price of the Appenzeller Mild that was on sale, I brought home only this sliver for a little taste test. Since this goat cheese has a semi-hard texture, it was easy to slice and eat alone. Actually, I am quite unfamiliar with hard goat cheeses, as I am used to the fresh spreadable and crumbled varieties. Nonetheless, I found that this delicious selection has me curious to try other semi-hard goat cheeses.

I hesitate to compare it to feta, which technically is made mostly with sheep's milk, but the texture and flavor remind me of something like taking less salty feta and dehydrating it. Although this Spitzberg goat cheese has a mild flavor, it remains clearly distinguishable from its semi-hard cow's milk counterparts.

Bottom line: Manages to make aged cheese taste fresh.
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The Queso Suizo Project: Churer Alpkäse

If a cheese has the word "Alp" or "Berg" in its name, in my eyes it can do no wrong. Those mountain cheeses sure do make my mouth water, and this lovely one from Chur is no exception. This cheese has a hard almost grainy texture, much like Gruyére. It also has tiny brown specks (of ?) and those darling holes that you might typically associate with Swiss cheese. It's rich in flavor without being potent like Schwägalp-käse. Another plus is that the rind is not as stinky as other mountain cheeses I've tried, but I think that has a lot to do with the fact that I did not buy this cheese pre-packaged like I normally do. (I'm beginning to think that the rinds fester after sitting in those packages, which makes them smellier than normal.) I think from now on I will buy my cheese wedges from the cheese counter, not just to avoid smelly rind, but also for the quality and flavor. The good thing is that even if a pre-packaged cheese is on Aktion, it is also likely to be on Aktion at the cheese counter. Yesss!

Bottom line: Nutty, buttery, and yummy in my tummy.

Update: I lied. A so-called Bergkäse can most definitely do wrong - when it is accompanied by the word "halbfett," or half-fat.
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The Queso Suizo Project: Processed Cheese

Now, don't freak out. I never claimed to be a cheese purist. Cheese is cheese, processed or fresh. The fact that I am writing about a processed cheese product should not be so alarming. It is all part of my project. I've got to see what's out there and decide whether or not I like it. And really, let's not get carried away here; we're not talking about Kraft cheese slices (you know the ones individually wrapped in plastic). This is Switzerland after all so if they're going to do processed cheese, they're going to do it right. Right?

Well, I have to admit that I still can't bring myself to by the Swiss version of those Kraft cheese slices, but if I am going to eat a processed cheese, it's for the purpose of spreading it on a piece of bread. So, we decided to give this Gerber brand variety pack a try.

I do realize that really yummy fresh cheeses (usually with a fluffy texture) are readily available and can also be spread on bread, but the processed kind that come individually foil wrapped in single serve wedges are thicker and (usually) creamier and oh so convenient. They aren't even in the refrigerated section. In fact, if you want to make these Gerber babies spread, you shouldn't put them in the fridge, at least I don't think so. You see we did put these in the fridge, because I can't bring myself to put cheese in the cupboard, and what I discovered is that the Emmentaler and Appenzeller cheeses just don't spread. The other types more or less spread, but only after you leave them out of the fridge for several minutes. At the end of the day, I am not so thrilled about Gerber's so-called cheese spreads. To be honest, we've been using the French brand cheese spread called "La vache qui rit" for the last six months and I just love it. You can keep it in the fridge and it still spreads!

Bottom line: Flavorful but un-spreadable.

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The Queso Suizo Project: Aktion!

Our local Migros supermarket has been on a roll for the past couple of weeks: The cheese section has been featuring a wider-than-usual variety of cheeses on Aktion (special offer).

One such cheese that I am already familiar with is called Emmental. In fact, I was familiar with this cheese before I moved to Switzerland and I didn't even know it! Apparently, Emmental is what friends in the U.S. have come to call simply "Swiss cheese." To be honest, I have never been a huge fan of "Swiss cheese," except when it's melted in a sandwich or something. (Um, can someone please deep freeze a Bennigan's Monte Cristo sandwich with a mix of Swiss and American cheeses and send it to me Global Express?) I've always thought "Swiss cheese" was too bitter for my taste sensibilities, but this Emmental we got wasn't half bad. Emmental is considered a hard cheese, but the one we got wasn't as hard as Parmesan or Gruyére. Also, the Mittelreif variety offers a much mellower flavor than the "Swiss cheese" that I am used to. We enjoyed it, non-melted, in some Silserwiches (mini sandwiches I prepare with Silserkranz rolls).

Bottom line: Glad I tried it, but it is not one of my favorites.

Next up is a mountain cheese called "Bündner," which is a semi-hard cheese produced at Käserei Sedrun in canton Graubünden. Isaiah is a big fan of this cheese, and it isn't difficult to figure out why. What's great about "Bündner" is that it's packed with flavor without being overpowering like the Schwägalp-Käse.

Bottom line: Makes for a reliably satisfying cheese experience.

Finally, we have a Thurgauer Rahmkäse, a semi-soft cheese that's pretty forgettable. The scent isn't particularly fowl, and it has a nice creamy texture, but this cheese didn't grab my attention. I think I prefer a cheese to assault me with flavor. It's not that this Rahmkäse is flavorless. I mean, it's good, but not that good. (So eloquently put, right?)

Bottom line: Not enough bang for my buck.
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The Queso Suizo Project: Raclette

Guck mal! Just look at that melted cheesy goodness.

Did you know that you can buy a raclette machine at target.com? Actually, the first time I ever tried raclette was in San Diego about four months before I moved to Switzerland. Our gracious hostess (my sister's boyfriend's mom, P) and lover of all things Swiss, invited us over for a raclette dinner as a kind of farewell gesture before our big move. Unfortunately, Isaiah almost burned down the machine shop at school that evening, so he was unable to attend. Luckily, P had also extended the invitation to some of my family, so no cheese went to waste. Indeed, I owe it to P for introducing me to this yummy meal, and, thus, for my haste in convincing Isaiah to buy one my first week in Switzerland. Since we have yet to eat raclette with genuine Swiss people, like Jessica of Swisstory (for a Raclette How-To check out this post), we can't be sure we are eating it the proper Swiss way. As you'll see in the photos, we eat it two different ways. And the next day, if we have leftover cheese, we heat up the machine and make cheesy bread. YUM! To heck with Swiss tradition. We've created our own family tradition, so there.

The raclette meal I will be sharing here is the one we cooked up on V-day this past weekend. First, allow me to introduce the participants:

The Machine
(Some brand I can't remember we bought at Denner for 50 CHF. One side of the grill is for pancakes/crepes, the other is for meats and stuff.)

The Wine
(White from Valais purchased at Coop)

The Cheese
(Surchoix Raclette and Peperoni Raclette from the cheese lady at Coop. I liked the Surchoix the best, though both were yummy and buttery.)

And of course the Cornichons that you see made their way into almost every shot. I love those little guys!

So, the concept is really very simple. You put raclette cheese on the little dish and watch it melt. I believe this is the more traditional way.


After the cheese has melted to your liking you pour it over potatoes (left). You'll notice we cut our potatoes into tiny pieces because our tradition is to first fill the little dish with potatoes, put cheese on top, and then watch it melt (right). It makes for a tall stack and tight fit, but then everything comes out all warm and gooey.














Bottom line: When the smell of melting raclette is in the air, get out of my way!
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The Queso Suizo Project: Wildbachkäse vs. Seemerzler

Two different cheeses with names inspired by bodies of water. One verdict.

I owe it all to a recent QSP sponsorship.

Some good friends of mine are hosting a holiday child (a Ferienkind, as she calls herself). Holiday Child's mum is due any day now with child number two, so Uncle R and Auntie F offered to child mind for a week. Holiday Child is just one month older than Al, so I invited them to come visit with us in Schaffhausen.

It took a while for everyone to warm up to one another, but after some (a lot of) coaxing everything fell into place. At one point we agreed it might be fun to go sledding a bit before it grew dark. Unfortunately, Little L and Al were terrified of going on the sled and Holiday Child was finished after a couple of tumbles off the sled. So, the three children watched as we three adults sled down a hill covered with half melted snow. Apparently we were quite entertaining.

After sledding, it was time to prepare dinner. Auntie F and I left Uncle R with the three children and headed to the nearby Migros. We had the salad ingredients and the bread we needed and were just about to checkout when Auntie F stopped me.

"We should buy some cheese," she suggested.

I guided her to the cheese section and she said the sweetest words, "Why don't you pick something out?"

"Me? You want me to choose?"

"Yes, go ahead. Pick out a couple of different cheeses, my treat, and we'll try them during dinner. Then you can write about them."

And that was how I unintentionally recruited a new Queso Suizo Project sponsor.

A bit about the cheeses:

Contestant #1 is called Wildbachkäse, or Mountain stream cheese. It is a semi-hard cheese with a flavor similar to Schwägalp-Käse. (Maybe it's because they have that common mountain origin going for them.) It's quite salty and buttery, but not as pungent as Schwägalp-Käse, though the rind is MUCH stinkier and a brownish color. It is produced by the Käserei Herschmettlen in Ottikon (canton Zürich).

Bottom line: Mmm, melts in your mouth goodness.

Contestant #2 is called Seemerzler. I don't know what that word means, but it has the word "See" in it which can mean sea or lake. Oh yeah, and there's a bad-ass ship on the label. Back to the cheese -- Seemerzler is unlike any cheese I've ever tasted. It's a hard cheese, yet light, and flavorful, yet mild. It is produced by the Käserei Studer in Hatswil (canton Thurgau).

Bottom line: Delightful and mysterious.

The winner is...

Really, comparing these two cheeses is like comparing apples and oranges, but if I had to pick one, I'd choose the Seemerzler. It stands out because of its unique, but difficult for me to describe, flavor. Is it slightly sweet? It's hard to say. Wildbachkäse tastes too much like another cheese I've recently tried, whereas Seemerzler has a distinctive taste.

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The Queso Suizo Project: Schwägalp Käse

I have a special place in my heart for this cheese. Not only is it an "Aus der Region. Für der Region." product, but Isaiah and I spent our first Christmas as husband and wife in Schwägalp. Since we didn't visit the cheese factory while we were there, it's nice to know that we can purchase this cheese at Migros or Coop.

The cheese is definitely a mountain cheese. That is, every summer about fifty different Alpine dairy farmers (or Sennen in German - don't you love how they have a special word for them?) bring their cows' milk directly to the cheese factory, Alpschaukäserei Schwägalp, to undergo traditional cheese-making processes. (Sources: FamilienkulTour and My Switzerland)

Schwägalp Käse truly melts in your mouth. It is a semi-soft/semi-hard cheese, so it’s one that you can easily slice. First thing you’ll notice is that the rind is a burnt orange color and rather potent, which reminds me of the smell of a full nappy. (Because the rind totally puts Isaiah in a fit of dry heaves, you’ll notice in the photo that we cut it off immediately after opening the package.) I wouldn’t call this cheese poignant, though, because the scent doesn’t permeate the whole house, it just stays right where it needs to, on your fingers. After one bite, you begin to experience an intensely salty yet buttery flavor. Then a few more bites later you’re hooked. If you don’t mind it overpowering your cheesy eggs, then go for it. I also enjoyed it on it’s own as a quick cheese fix, but I imagine it would complement fruit or spice up a slice of bread.

Bottom line: Pungent in the best way possible.

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The Queso Suizo Project: Le Gruyère (Salé)

Gruyère is produced from cows' milk in the French-speaking region of Switzerland. It’s one of the cheeses that Isaiah and I pick up at the Migros supermarket on a regular basis. I believe it has such a distinct flavor that if you were to blindfold my eyes and give me a slice of Gruyère, I would certainly identify it as such. In jest, Isaiah calls it “magical,” but to me it really is heaven in cheese-form.

It is a hard cheese, so you can enjoy it grated or sliced. The texture is very similar to a wedge of parmesan or extra sharp cheddar, almost grainy. There are many varieties, but we tend to stick to the salé, or salty variety. According to wikipedia, its flavors can range from “sweet,” to “nutty,” to “earthy.”

Bottom line: Bold and sharp, just the way I like it.




About The Queso Suizo Project:

The Queso Suizo Project is an excuse for me to try a variety of Swiss cheeses and then describe my impressions of them. You’ll find out what I like, love, and think is just mediocre. Also, I will humbly attempt to express how the cheese tastes, but I am a firm believer that eating cheese is an ineffable experience. You just have to eat the cheese and experience it for yourself. My hope is that The Queso Suizo Project will help readers discover the assortment of cheeses available at Migros (or Coop), get an idea of what makes each cheese different from one another, and feel inspired to try new cheeses.
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