While up in the mountains, we stopped at one cheese hut located at about 4000 feet. While this may be high, the cows and cheese making were well above us, at around 6000 to 7000 feet. Every region has its own specialty, with over 450 varities throughout Switzerland. Some of the better known include Appenzeller, Emmentaler, Gruyere, Sbrinz, Tete de Moine, and Vacherin. Our favorites were the Emmantaler (full of holes like swiss cheese) on sandwiches and the Appenzeller (stinky, but oh so good) with wine. Even the kids have a new appreciation for cheese. Cole likes the younger varieties while the girls prefer them aged.
We stopped to visit a couple of demonstration cheese plants during our journey and one very special cheese-maker. Moleson Fromagrie d’ Alpage has been producing cheese in the same chalet since 1686, still using huge cauldrons over a roaring fire.
On the sweeter side of things is the Swiss chocolate. Francois Callier, the man who is considered the pioneer of Swiss chocolate making, opened the first Swiss chocolate factory in 1819. The factory is still in operation, but today is owned by Nestle. But while the Nestle chocolate is made to conform with global specifications, the Callier brand is the only Swiss chocolate using condensed milk instead of milk powder. We of course conducted our own taste test and you could definitely tell the difference.
The cows get to wear these huge ceremonial bells as they parade to and from the high Alps. While the cows are away at their summer home, the bells are neatly hung under the eave.
When the cows are away, the farmers turn much of their attention to making and storing hay for the upcoming winter. Most of the land you find them harvesting is especially steep, thus it's all done by hand.
This is the cheese hut in the mountains we bought our cheese from. The next photo is the farmer cutting us samples inside the hut.
This is one of the cheese-makers from Moleson Fromagerie d’ Alpage. Here he's using a linen cloth to extract the curd from the cauldron and place it in the moulds.
Cole is getting ready to transport some cheese to the storage hut.
Another cute cheese hut in the mountains.
After the Callier tour, the free samples were everywhere. Tray after tray after tray was just too much to resist. I must admit, I didn't need lunch.
Are we in Switzerland or Madison, Wisconsin? This red and white cow was outside the Alprose Chocolate factory in Lugano.
Watching the chocolate bars whiz by.
From an unwrapped chocolate bar to a box ready to ship in about 10 seconds.
We stopped to visit a couple of demonstration cheese plants during our journey and one very special cheese-maker. Moleson Fromagrie d’ Alpage has been producing cheese in the same chalet since 1686, still using huge cauldrons over a roaring fire.
On the sweeter side of things is the Swiss chocolate. Francois Callier, the man who is considered the pioneer of Swiss chocolate making, opened the first Swiss chocolate factory in 1819. The factory is still in operation, but today is owned by Nestle. But while the Nestle chocolate is made to conform with global specifications, the Callier brand is the only Swiss chocolate using condensed milk instead of milk powder. We of course conducted our own taste test and you could definitely tell the difference.
The cows get to wear these huge ceremonial bells as they parade to and from the high Alps. While the cows are away at their summer home, the bells are neatly hung under the eave.
When the cows are away, the farmers turn much of their attention to making and storing hay for the upcoming winter. Most of the land you find them harvesting is especially steep, thus it's all done by hand.
This is the cheese hut in the mountains we bought our cheese from. The next photo is the farmer cutting us samples inside the hut.
This is one of the cheese-makers from Moleson Fromagerie d’ Alpage. Here he's using a linen cloth to extract the curd from the cauldron and place it in the moulds.
Cole is getting ready to transport some cheese to the storage hut.
Another cute cheese hut in the mountains.
After the Callier tour, the free samples were everywhere. Tray after tray after tray was just too much to resist. I must admit, I didn't need lunch.
Are we in Switzerland or Madison, Wisconsin? This red and white cow was outside the Alprose Chocolate factory in Lugano.
Watching the chocolate bars whiz by.
From an unwrapped chocolate bar to a box ready to ship in about 10 seconds.
