Regional specialties

Sbrinz - cheese with character

Sbrinz, the spicy and aromatic cheese from Central Switzerland, is the fourth Swiss cheese with a protected designation of origin (AOC).

Some say that Sbrinz is the forerunner of all Swiss cheeses. Sbrinz is almost exclusively produced from the milk of brown cattle. The cows feed on grass in summer and hay in winter – no silage or feedstuffs of animal origin or feedgrade urea may be used. Spicy and coarse, Sbrinz crumbles easily. You can enjoy it in chunks, in thin sliced curls, or grated. Its aroma adds the perfect finishing touch to a meal.

The production of Sbrinz

One Sbrinz wheel of 45 kg requires over 600 liters of fresh raw milk. Every day the milk is delivered to the cheese dairies, quality-tested, poured into vats and heated up while being stirred continuously. Rennet is added to the hot milk and the mixture is allowed to stand for a while before the mass is cut into equally sized sections by means of a cheese harp. This procedure separates the whey from the cheese mass. The mass is then poured into a mold, turned several times and pressed until no more whey is drained off. The cheese body is placed into a brine bath for 18 days and later stored at 18°C for two months; during this time the cheese loses a lot of fatty matter and water. Placed on its edge, the cheese body is left to ripen, which takes about 18 months. It's this long ripening period that gives Sbrinz its spicy aroma and distinctive consistency.