Mountain Pasture Sbrinz

Slow Food Presidium

Switzerland

Lucerne

Obwald

Uri

Milk and milk products

Back to the archive >
Mountain Pasture Sbrinz

One of Switzerland’s most famous cheeses, Sbrinz has a long history; the origins of its production are thought to date back to Roman times. It has been produced and sold as Sbrinz since 1530, the year from which documents in Bern’s public record office report the sale of a huge quantity of cheese, carried by a caravan that set out for Italy from the central Swiss town of Brienz, most probably the origin of the cheese’s name.
Before that period it was known as Schwyzer or Spalen, and was commonly sold under those names outside of central Switzerland. The mule track that crossed the passes of Grimsel and Gries on the way to Domodossola, one of the most trodden routes, is known as “Via Sbrinz” (www.sbrinz-route.ch).
Production is still concentrated in central Switzerland, between the cantons of Lucerne, Uri, Schwyz, Obwalden and Nidwalden, Zug and the Muri region in the Canton of Aargau. This area has the best alpine dairies and pastures, and until the 19th century the cheese was made from mountain milk. With the opening of the first dairies in the valley, production started to shift to the lowlands as well. Valley production was cheaper and could be continued year-round. Out of the 30 plus dairies that currently produce Sbrinz AOC (a protected denomination of origin since 2002), only about ten work in the mountains.
The raw milk from the evening milking is mixed with the morning milk, one of which is partially skimmed. The milk is processed in traditional copper caldrons and curdled at a temperature of 32°C (90°F). The curd is broken with a tool called a lira (lyre), carefully reheated until it reaches a temperature between 54°C and 57°C (129-136°F), then firmly pressed into round molds. The Sbrinz forms are then soaked in brine for 15 to 20 days. The exudation phase follows, and then an initial drying. This lasts for around four weeks, during which a natural film of grease forms on the cheese’s surface. This is rubbed off with a cloth once a week. Sbrinz is traditionally aged vertically, on pine boards in cellars. The large cheeses age for at least 16 months. The best cheeses are left for 24 months and called Sbrinz AOC, while the others are consumed after 18-20 months of aging. These cheeses are then cut into thin shavings using a special slicer, common around the country.

Back to the archive >
The project was set up to promote high-quality production, carried out exclusively in alpine dairies during the summer. The cows, mostly Brown Swiss, graze only on the best pastures.
The Presidium protects cheeses made from the milk of four mountain dairies, aim- ing to raise the profile of this excellent cheese among consumers in Switzerland and elsewhere, distinguishing it from the mass of industrialized Sbrinz that dominates the market.

Production area
Obwalden and Nidwalden cantons, central Switzerland

Presidium supported by
Coop Switzerland
Fluonalp Dairy
Thomas Schnider
Panormastrasse - Giswil
tel. +41 796435314
molkerei.schnider@bluewin.ch
(numero casello 6201)

Famiglia Paul Barmettler
Alpeggio Bleiki - Niederrickenbach
tel. +41 416281644
barmettler@alpbleiki.ch
www.alpbleiki.ch
(numero casello 6192)

Caseificio Gerschnialp
Anselm Töngi
Engelberg – Alpenstrasse, 5
tel. +41 416373929
alpkaeserei@bluewin.ch
(numero casello 6191)

Alp Chünern
Andreas Gut
Schwand - Wiesenberg
Tel. +41 79 522 28 99 / +41 41 628 25 62

Thomas Scheuber-Durrer
Alpkäserei Untertrübsee - Engelberg
Tel. +41 41792906958 / +41 416111076
thoan.scheuber@bluewin.ch

Werner von Rotz
Bergkäserei
Weidli 14 - Melchtal
Tel. +41 79 413 94 09 / +41 41 669 13 22
sennerei@bergmatt.ch

Peter Portmann
Käserei Engelauenen-Alp
Obermoos - Schüpfheim
Tel. +41 484 18 89

Stefan Heller
AOP - Sbrinz Käse GmbH
Merkurstrasse 2 - Sursee
Tel. +41 41 914 60 60
stefan.heller@sbrinz.ch

Cheese refiner
Bruno Portmann
Lustenberger e Dürst AG
Langrüti 1 - Cham
Tel. +41 41 784 16 16
b.portmann@lustenberger.com
Presidium producers coordinator
Anselm Töngi
Tel. +41 416373929
alpkaeserei@bluewin.ch

Slow Food Presidium coordinator
Marcel Luther
marcel@luther.ch

The project was set up to promote high-quality production, carried out exclusively in alpine dairies during the summer. The cows, mostly Brown Swiss, graze only on the best pastures.
The Presidium protects cheeses made from the milk of four mountain dairies, aim- ing to raise the profile of this excellent cheese among consumers in Switzerland and elsewhere, distinguishing it from the mass of industrialized Sbrinz that dominates the market.

Production area
Obwalden and Nidwalden cantons, central Switzerland

Presidium supported by
Coop Switzerland
Fluonalp Dairy
Thomas Schnider
Panormastrasse - Giswil
tel. +41 796435314
molkerei.schnider@bluewin.ch
(numero casello 6201)

Famiglia Paul Barmettler
Alpeggio Bleiki - Niederrickenbach
tel. +41 416281644
barmettler@alpbleiki.ch
www.alpbleiki.ch
(numero casello 6192)

Caseificio Gerschnialp
Anselm Töngi
Engelberg – Alpenstrasse, 5
tel. +41 416373929
alpkaeserei@bluewin.ch
(numero casello 6191)

Alp Chünern
Andreas Gut
Schwand - Wiesenberg
Tel. +41 79 522 28 99 / +41 41 628 25 62

Thomas Scheuber-Durrer
Alpkäserei Untertrübsee - Engelberg
Tel. +41 41792906958 / +41 416111076
thoan.scheuber@bluewin.ch

Werner von Rotz
Bergkäserei
Weidli 14 - Melchtal
Tel. +41 79 413 94 09 / +41 41 669 13 22
sennerei@bergmatt.ch

Peter Portmann
Käserei Engelauenen-Alp
Obermoos - Schüpfheim
Tel. +41 484 18 89

Stefan Heller
AOP - Sbrinz Käse GmbH
Merkurstrasse 2 - Sursee
Tel. +41 41 914 60 60
stefan.heller@sbrinz.ch

Cheese refiner
Bruno Portmann
Lustenberger e Dürst AG
Langrüti 1 - Cham
Tel. +41 41 784 16 16
b.portmann@lustenberger.com
Presidium producers coordinator
Anselm Töngi
Tel. +41 416373929
alpkaeserei@bluewin.ch

Slow Food Presidium coordinator
Marcel Luther
marcel@luther.ch

Territory

StateSwitzerland
RegionLucerneObwaldUri

Other info

CategoriesMilk and milk products