Aurina Valley Graukäse

Graukäse (“gray cheese”)belongs to the family of acid-curdled cheeses, which do not use rennet. This type of cheese is fairly common in the Tyrolean Alps. The cheese is very lean—the fat content is no more than 2%—and it is made from milk left over from butter production. The milk is left to rest for two days, during which time the acid coagulation begins. After heating, the curd is hung up to drain and then broken into pieces. The mass is then put into molds and pressed by hand. The cheeses age for two or three weeks, developing grayish-green fungal molds, a powerful and penetrating smell and a strong flavor with a bitterness that varies depending on how much whey is left during the draining.

Season

The cheese is made in mountain dairies from June to September