Cheese Database

Bergkäse vs Hirtenkäse

Bergkäse

Facts

Milk
Cow
Texture
Hard
Type
Pressed
Rind
Natural rind
Country
Austria

Bergkäse is a hard cow's milk cheese from Austria, and the name means mountain cheese. It stands for several alpine wheels rather than one single recipe. Makers press the curd into large rounds with a firm paste and a natural rind. The taste is nutty and savory, and it grows a little sharper as the wheel ages. Small openings may show in the paste, but this is not a large-eyed Emmental style.

Hirtenkäse

Facts

Milk
Cow
Texture
Hard
Type
Pressed
Rind
Natural rind
Country
Germany

Hirtenkäse is a hard cow's milk cheese from southern Germany. The name means herder's cheese, and it points to milk from herds that graze alpine slopes in the warm season. The paste is golden and firm, with a natural rind and a waxy bite. It sits closer to an aged mountain cheese than to a mild slicing cheese. A young wheel is already savory, and a longer keep brings a deeper, sweeter aroma.