Appenzeller vs Scharfe Maxx
Appenzeller
Facts
- Milk
- Cow
- Texture
- Semi-hard
- Type
- Washed rind
- Rind
- Washed rind
- Country
- Switzerland
Appenzeller is a firm cow's milk cheese from Switzerland, in the family of Alpine wheels with small eyes. Makers wash the rind with a herbal brine while the cheese cures, and that wash gives a strong smell and a spicy edge. The paste is smooth, pale yellow, and dotted with a few small holes. A younger wheel tastes milder and nuttier, and a longer-aged wheel turns sharper and more robust. It is a cooking cheese and a board cheese, not a fresh slicing cheese.
Scharfe Maxx
Facts
- Milk
- Cow
- Texture
- Semi-hard
- Type
- Washed rind
- Rind
- Washed rind
- Country
- Switzerland
Scharfe Maxx is a branded cow's milk cheese from Switzerland, sold under the fuller name Der scharfe Maxx. The name means the sharp Maxx, but the taste is savory and aromatic rather than hot like a chili. The paste is semi-hard and supple, and it melts, while a smear rind carries a stronger smell than the center. Tasters often set it beside Appenzeller, though this one is creamier. Cow's milk and a firm, moist slice are the facts that matter at the counter.