Top 15 Popular German Cheeses
Germany is not the first nation that comes to mind when thinking of cheese due to its sausages and sauerkraut. But you might be surprised to learn that Germany is the second-largest cheese producer in the world and the top cheese producer in Europe (yes, bigger than France and Italy combined).
Germany is surrounded by nations with a rich cheese culture, including France with its incredible selection of delectable cheeses, Poland with its exquisitely shaped and smoked Oscypek and Goka cheeses, the Czech Republic with its own take on Camembert called Hermeln, Austria and Switzerland with their plethora of alpine cheeses, including Tiroler Bergkäse, Emmentaler, and Gruyère, the Netherlands with its large wheels of Edam and Gouda,
However, Germany has its own delectable cheese varieties that are perhaps less well-known abroad than cheeses like Camembert and Gruyère. Let's explore some of the German cheeses you simply must try on your upcoming visit.
1. Allgäuer Bergkäse
A hard cheese from the mountainous Allgäu region in southern Bavaria is called Allgäuer Bergkäse. The Allgäuer Bergkäse is one of the most well-known alpine cheeses from Germany. This region, which is home to Neuschwanstein castle and is partially situated in the Alps, has a long tradition of mountain cheeses (Bergkäse).
To avoid having to import pricey cheeses from Switzerland and the Netherlands, a businessman and cheesemonger invited two cheesemakers from Switzerland to demonstrate how to make a cheese that was comparable to Swiss alpine cheese in 1821. Allgäuer Bergkäse was created in this manner.
It has a mild, nutty flavor that intensifies with longer maturation and is made from unpasteurized cow's milk and matured for at least four months.
2. Allgäuer Emmentaler
The international effort that brought alpine cheese to Germany also produced Allgäuer Emmentaler. The landscapes and climate of the Allgäu region are remarkably similar to their home country, according to the two Swiss cheesemakers who introduced the tradition of Allgäuer Bergkäse there. It was therefore obvious that they had to make Allgäuer Emmentaler, a German version of the Swiss Emmentaler cheese, in Bavaria.
The cheese is produced using unpasteurized cow's milk in a manner akin to that of Allgäuer Bergkäse. However, the maturation takes place for six months in a unique cellar.
The cheese ferments during this time, developing the typical large holes (about the size of cherries) throughout its entire body. Allgäuer Emmentaler has a mild, nutty flavor that is typically less potent than Allgäuer Bergkäse, and a wheel can weigh up to 130 kg.
3. Altenburger Ziegenkäse
Soft cheese called Altenburger Ziegenkäse is produced in an area of East Germany near Leipzig that is sandwiched between Saxony and Thuringia. Despite the fact that the name suggests otherwise, it is primarily made of pasteurized cow's milk and very little goat's milk (at least 15 percent ).
Due to the high humidity during the ripening process, the cheese has a caraway seed flavor and is covered in a white mold (like Camembert cheese). Altenburger Ziegenkäse is a creamy, mild, and rich soft cheese with a strong caraway flavor that is sold in small round wheels of cheese (250g).
4. Bergader Edelpilz
Another cheese from Bavaria that was created in a tiny cheese dairy in the 1920s is Bergader Edelpilz. The cheese factory's proprietor came up with the idea to produce a Roquefort-like cheese using cow's milk rather than sheep's milk.
His cheese was referred to as "Bavarian Alpine Roquefort." A court ruled that the name was too similar to the French origin, though. As a result, it was changed to Bergader Edelpilz.
The small cheese dairy, which is still family-owned and is now a global corporation, uses the original 1927 recipe to create Bergader Edelpilz. The blue mold gives the cheese a strong flavor and a pungent aroma. It is also creamy and rich.
5. Butterkäse
Butterkäse, a semi-soft cheese made with cow's milk, is what the name implies. It can be used universally for sandwiches, on bread, or as a garnish for roast dishes because of its mild flavor and silky, creamy texture, which are reminiscent of Dutch Gouda.
Butterkäse is a young cheese without any holes because the ripening process only takes three to four weeks. Butterkäse is one of the most widely consumed cheeses in Germany, where it is typically produced in quantities of 30,000 tonnes annually.
6. Cambozola
Cambozola, which is a combination of the names Camembert and Gorgonzola, is a soft blue cheese that is simultaneously sharp and pungent and creamy and rich with a white mold on the surface.
To enhance the soft, creamy texture, blue penicillium mold (used in the same way as in Gorgonzola and Roquefort) and additional cream are added.
7. Quark
Technically speaking, this is a fresh dairy product rather than cheese in the traditional sense. As a result, it is crucial to many dishes in German cuisine (such as the country's traditional cheesecake) and is also used to make other cheeses (such as Harzer Käse and Handkäse).
Rennet is added to pasteurized milk (hence it being a sour milk product) until it curdles, after which the whey is strained and the cheese is allowed to set. Quark (the closest translation being curd or curd cheese) is the result.
Quark is sold in supermarkets in Germany in a variety of fat contents. Magerquark has almost no fat at all, regular Quark has about 20% fat, and Sahnequark has 40% fat due to the addition of cream. Quark is comparable to cream cheeses from other nations and French Fromage blanc. It differs from Italian ricotta, though, in that the milk is heated further while making it.
8. Hüttenkäse
Hüttenkase, fresh cheese with tiny beads of curd, is the German equivalent of cottage cheese and was created in Britain.
Skim milk that has undergone pasteurization, as well as a lactic acid-producing bacterial culture, are heated until they curdle. The mixture of curdled beads and salty, slightly sour cream is delicious. These curds are then rinsed with water and given a "dressing" of cream and salt. Hüttenkase is a favorite food of those following a health regimen because it contains a lot of protein and very little fat.
9. Harzer Käse
The cheese that health freaks and diet experts adore is this one! This very traditional cheese is made from Magerquark, a sour milk curd that is almost fat-free and is very high in protein and low in fat. It has the fewest calories of all the cheeses on this list while still being very high in protein (over 30 percent ).
The same recipe has been used to make Harzer Käse in the northern German highland region of Harz since the 18th century. Traditionally, cow's milk would be skimmed and the cream would be used to make butter; this would leave only the low-fat, sour milk, which was then used to make Magerquark and, from there, Harzer Käse.
The Magerquark is strained, then flavored with salt and caraway seeds, formed into small balls the size of a fist, and allowed to mature for a few weeks. Because the flavor profile of harzer käse varies depending on how long it is matured, many people store it in their cupboard rather than their refrigerator to allow it to mature more.
When still young, it has a white center with a curdled texture and a mild, slightly sour flavor. As it ages, however, the texture softens, the color turns translucent golden yellow throughout, and the flavor develops into a distinct pungent, powerful flavor. In order to increase the flavor, it is frequently sprinkled with caraway seeds or covered in white or red mold.
10. Hessischer Handkäse
The same process is used to make this cheese as to make Harzer Käse. However, the name is protected by the European Union and is historically from the West German state of Hesse.
Because the small cheese wheels are traditionally formed with just the bare hands, the name Handkäse translates as "hand cheese." As a result of the occasional flatulence it can sometimes cause when served with a lot of sliced onion, vinegar, oil, and apple wine, it is frequently served in Hesse as Handkäse mit Musik, which translates to "with music."
11. Holsteiner Tilsiter
This semi-soft cheese originates from Schleswig-Holstein, the northernmost state of Germany. Tilsiter cheese, which is now sold in Switzerland as well as Germany, was originally named after the East Prussian city of Tilsit (today's Sovetsk, close to Kaliningrad).
However, due to trademark protection, Holsteiner Tilsiter can only be produced in Schleswig-Holstein. The same recipe has been used in this region for the past 120 years to produce Holsteiner Tilsiter.
Milk curds are transferred loosely to either round or rectangle molds rather than being pressed into a mold like other cheeses, resulting in numerous small, irregular holes.
Holsteiner Tilsiter is ready to be sliced and eaten, frequently with butter on dark bread, after five weeks of maturation, during which the cheese is routinely covered with whey, The cheese becomes slightly moist due to saltwater, skim milk or mold solution.
12. Kochkäse
Kochkäse, or "cooked cheese," is another delicacy from Hesse in West Germany and has a long history. It was originally a dish for peasants, and each farm had its own recipe for this straightforward cheese.
Large cheesecloths are used to strain and dry the quark as much as possible before it is transferred to a clay pot next to an oven, mixed with baking soda, and heated for several hours or even days.
After that, the mixture is heated while being added cream or milk, butter, salt, and occasionally egg yolk to create a creamy thick paste. Kochkäse is now readily available in all Hesse supermarkets, but it is extremely uncommon throughout the rest of Germany.
A less complicated variation of Kochkäse can also be made at home by melting mature Harzer Käse or Handkäse with butter in a bain-marie and combining it with cream or Quark. Similar to French Cancoilotte, Kochkäse has a runny, creamy consistency and a mild to aromatic flavor (depending on whether Quark or Handkäse is used). It is frequently served with boiled potatoes, sliced onion, vinegar, and fresh bread.
13. Limburger
Originally from the historic Duchy of Limburg, which is now a region on the border between Germany and Belgium, Limburger is a soft cheese with red mold. As a result, this cheese is also made in nearby Belgium under the name Herve.
The characteristic smell of this cheese, which is caused by the bacterium Brevibacterium linens, a component of the red mold that frequently covers the cheese during maturation, is what makes it so well-known (between two to twelve weeks). Because Limburger is aged in an extremely humid environment, it is moist, creamy, and yet still elastic. The cheese is frequently served with bread or potatoes and is sold in tiny "bricks" of 200 or 500g.
14. Obazda
Everybody who has visited Munich or attended the Oktoberfest has probably heard of this Bavarian specialty. When making Obazda, mature soft cheeses like Camembert, Limburger, or Romadour are chopped up and combined with butter. The mixture is then seasoned with paprika, salt, and pepper, occasionally a small amount of beer, or onion, garlic, caraway, or cream/cream cheese. It is offered with fresh bread or pretzels in every Biergarten.
Additionally, there is a Liptauer equivalent that is used in Austria and Hungary. Obazn is a dialect word from Bavarian that means to mix or crush something.
Obazda, was developed roughly 150 years ago, concurrently with the emergence of the Biergarten culture. Due to the intense summer heat and lack of refrigeration, soft cheeses produced in the Allgäu region were frequently overripe. To make them more appetizing, butter and spices were then added.
15. Würchwitzer Milbenkäse
The cheese that comes in last on our list is unquestionably the strangest of them all. Translated as "mite cheese" or "spider cheese," milbenkäse means. It is a specialty from the Saxony-Anhalt village of Würchwitz and is known as the "world's most alive cheese."
Quark is flavored with salt and caraway seeds to make Würchwitzer Milbenkäse, which is then dried for three months in a wooden box with rye flour and special cheese mites. The cheese-maturing enzyme is excreted by the cheese mites in their saliva. The rye flour is added to stop the cheese mites, which prefer the flour to cheese, from eating the whole block of cheese.
However, the cheese will weigh only half as much after three months. Since the Middle Ages, Würchwitzer Milbenkäse has been prepared in this manner. It has a flavor that is similar to Harzer Käse but a little more bitter and zesty. And yes, as you might have guessed, cheese and any mites that are still attached to it when it is mature are consumed together.
