A cheese-making village
Alpine dairies belong to the Allgäu like bells belong to cows. Bavaria's oldest alpine dairy in Gunzesried has been passionately producing mountain cheese since 1892.
Allgäu personality in every wheel of cheese
The Gunzesried dairy is a co-operative and has been owned by local farmers since it was founded in 1892. The cows of 12 farmers supply the milk for the dairy. With its long, successful history, it is an identity-forming organisation for the Allgäu region.
To this day, the alpine dairy keeps local agriculture alive and secures the future of local farmers. In Gunzesried, an entire village makes cheese, from the dairyman to the shop assistant to the twelve farmers who supply the raw material with their hay milk. Everyone works hand in hand and sticks together. The small farm is an important part of ‘green farming’ in the Allgäu, as the business sector related to milk and cheese production is known.
Gunzesried in the Allgäu (2014) by bavaria.travel - Gert KrautbauerBAYERN TOURISMUS Marketing GmbH
Gunzesried is a village and district of the Bavarian municipality of Blaichach in the Allgäu. It lies at an altitude of just under 900 metres in a high valley. While elsewhere the grass disappears into the silos immediately after mowing, here the scent of hay wafts through the valley.
Artisanal cheesemaking (2014) by bavaria.travel - Gert KrautbauerBAYERN TOURISMUS Marketing GmbH
The dairymen only process milk from the Gunzesried Valley, a total of around 1.3 million litres per year.
Wheel of cheese (2014) by bavaria.travel - Gert KrautbauerBAYERN TOURISMUS Marketing GmbH
Emmentaler and mountain cheese ('Bergkäse') are raw milk cheeses, for the production of which only natural milk may be used. Milk suppliers must adhere to strict regulations and are not allowed to use silage, animal feed or feed containing sugar.
Ripening cellar (2014) by bavaria.travel - Gert KrautbauerBAYERN TOURISMUS Marketing GmbH
This milk is used to produce around 1,100 wheels of mountain cheese, each weighing around 25 kilograms, which are then stored in the maturing cellar and mature to an exceptional quality.
On average, the loaves have to be greased twice a week. This means that they are taken off the shelf, turned and rubbed with salt water.
Mountain cheese is traditionally available in three different degrees of ripeness and each degree of ripeness has its own special flavour. Every wheel of cheese from the Gunzesried Alpine dairy contains traditional craftsmanship and a genuine piece of the Allgäu.
In addition to Allgäuer Bergkäse, a variety of semi-hard cheeses such as Allgäuer Emmentaler, Autaler, Gunzesrieder, Kümmelkäse, Backsteiner, Pfefferkäse, Kräuterkäse and Bärlauchkäse are also produced and sold.
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