Tiroler Bergkäse is a g.U. unpasteurised cows’ milk cheese made by producers or processors and farmers in the north and east TyrolLand.
The cheese is made from Alpine or valley milk obtained from herds that are not fed any silage fodder. Calf rennet (no substitutes or genetically modified rennet) is used in the cheese making process. The use of antioxidants, preservatives, emulsifiers, stabilizers, thickeners and gelling agents, colours, peroxides, nitrates or flavourings is prohibited.
Produced in wheel form, the cheese has a painted-on and dried-on rind, the colour of which ranges from yellowish-brown to brown. The minimum weight of each wheel is 12 kg. Occasional pea-size holes may be matt or shiny and are distributed evenly throughout. The interior ranges from firm to supple and from ivory to light yellow in colour. The flavour ranges from mildly aromatic to slightly sharp.
The production of fat cheese, and thus the production of Bergkäse (Alpine cheese), spread throughout the Tyrol in the 1840s, since which time Tyrolean cheese dairies have been producing the cheese. National provisions regulate milk quality. Since production involves processing raw milk, the milk may not be transported from one cheese dairy to another. Cattle feed must consist mainly of grass and hay and may not include any fermenting or fermented food stuffs or any green forage warmed up in haystacks. Flavourings from the fodder pass into the cheese and contribute to its flavour.
Production
- Rennet is added to this pre-processed milk producing curds which then scalded at a temperature of around 52 C.
- The cheese is then placed in presses and the wheel transferred to the brine compartment (around 20% sodium chloride, pH-value 5.25). If the necessary microorganisms are not present (e.g. in new equipment or following disinfection), accelerator cultures are added to the brine compartment.
- It is matured at a temperature of between 12 and 16"C and has a relative humidity of between 90 and 95%.
- The cheeses are treated with brine twice a week, producing a special growth on the surface of the wheels which contributes to the sharp, aromatic flavour.
Poor transport infrastructure in the Tyrol led to the development of the Tiroler Bergkäse production process, as a result of the need to store and transport the large quantities of milk produced in the valleys of the Tyrolean lowland, such as Zillertal, Unterinntal and Achental. The high scalding temperature (around 50°C) guarantees food safety and produced a longer shelf life. This was essential because the cheese was not marketed locally but in far-off cities such as Vienna and Berlin. Flora typical of the Tyrolean grassland influences the flavour of the cheese.
Calories in different varieties and various types of cheeses
The number of calories in various types of cheese is very similar when you compare your cheese to a similar types of cheese.
For example, almost cheeses that are similar to Cheddar cheese have around 400 calories per 100g
If the Tiroler Bergkäse cheese is not listed below, select a similar type of cheese from the list below to get a rough idea for the number of calories in Tiroler Bergkäse cheese.
The calorie lists are sortable by clicking the up and down arrows in the heading columns
| Cheese type | Calories per 100g |
|---|---|
| American cheese | 371 |
| Blue cheese | 353 |
| Camembert cheese | 299 |
| Cheddar cheese | 402 |
| Cottage cheese | 98 |
| Edam cheese | 357 |
| Farmer's cheese | 98 |
| Feta cheese | 264 |
| Fontina cheese | 389 |
| Goat cheese | 364 |
| Gouda cheese | 356 |
| Gruyere cheese | 413 |
| Mozzarella cheese | 280 |
| Parmesan cheese | 431 |
| Pimento cheese | 375 |
| Provolone cheese | 352 |
| Queso blanco cheese | 310 |
| Ricotta cheese | 174 |
| Roquefort cheese | 369 |
| Swiss cheese | 380 |
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Errors and omissions
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