Spicy gray cheese from South Tyrol

Gray cheese is a very special product that is mainly produced in the Ahrntal valley. Skimmed cow's milk is used for production, it is handmade and then has to mature for ten weeks in a dark cellar. Refined with onions and vinegar, gray cheese is often served as part of a typical South Tyrolean snack platter.

Unmistakable flavor

The appearance of the cheese is not necessarily overwhelming, but the gray-green noble mold found on the rind provides a very aromatic taste experience. The full aroma develops due to the long aging time, which also reduces the fat content to about two percent. This makes gray cheese an ideal diet product. Since the milk sugar is converted into lactic acid during production, the cheese is also almost lactose-free. As it matures, its appearance also changes and the gray cheese takes on a yellowish-brown or gray surface. The longer it matures, the more intense its flavor becomes. The "curdy" cheese has a rather mild flavor, while the "bacon-like" gray cheese tastes more intense.

Popular in South Tyrolean kitchens

In recent years, gray cheese has become well known, especially through the cheese festival held in Sand in Taufers, and since then it has been served not only in rustic taverns and alpine huts, but is also used as an ingredient in various dishes in gourmet restaurants. South Tyrolean chefs like to mix modern products with traditional ingredients to create a new, extraordinary dish, such as gray cheese tagliatelle or spelt ravioli with gray cheese sauce.