Cheesemakers, with their task of transforming highly perishable milk into something both long-lasting and sumptuous on the palate, are known for being very particular. Few examples demonstrate this better than the birth of the
AOC protected cheese Etivaz, from Switzerland. A group of concerned cheesemakers in Pays d'Enhaut, in the Canton of Vaud, disliked the current styles of Gruyere that were being produced across Switzerland. They took it upon themselves to recreate this classic cheese in a way that would highlight all the inherent flavors of the raw milk from their Alpine herds.
Etivaz cheesemakers only source their milk from local herds that feed on the Canton's pastures.
Only raw milk is used, so the delicate flavor of this rare milk can carry over to the final moment when the cheese is ready to be eaten. Once the milk is curded and drained, it is gently cooked over a wood fire. Once the curd is cooked, the cheese is covered in brine for twenty-four hours, then the rind is again salted and brushed. Much like the milk, the salt applied is also harvested locally. Aged for approximately seven months, the wheels are tested weekly to judge their maturation and growth.
Switzerland took the legal steps to use the AOC label on their wines and other agricultural products in 1997, but Etivaz is the first cheese to receive this honor. Registered with the Swiss government in 2000, Etivas is a name-controlled gift of nature and craftsmanship that must be tried by any true connoisseur. Slightly pungent, wonderfully fruity, with a lingering flavor of hazelnuts and wild herbs, this cheese is a marvel of human determination using the best of what nature offers.
Made of unpasteurized cow's milk. Whole form is 12 pounds.
We cut and wrap this item by the 1/2 pound.Please contact us if you would like to purchase the whole form.
Print This Page