Tasty cheese with a health qualityThe longer I stay in Munich, the more exposure I get to European cheeses -much more than I ever did living in Florida. Alex and I recently discovered for ourselves a nifty cheese with a lot of potential:Harzer cheese, a German sour milk cheese made from low fat curd cheese, which contains only 0.5% fat and 30% protein, making it one of the healthiest cheeses in all of Cheesedom. It is a good source of Vitamin B as well. Just 100g of this cheese can deliver more than 1/3 of the recommended daily intake for Calcium including boocoos of essential amino acids. Despite these facts, this cheese has a bad reputation, conjuring images of sitting in a quite, musty room stuck in a 60/70s theme and all you hear is the wall clock ticking your life away.
The story of Harzer cheese is a simple one. It originated in the Harz mountain region south of Braunschweig. Once upon a time, some little Swiss Alpine mountain man decided to move to Germany. But before he did, he stuffed a sour milk cheese recipe in his Rucksack and tada!
Harzer cheese has several names actually. The most common name in our area is “Hand Cheese”, because in the past the little cheese rolls were formed by hand. So when it’s small and round, it’s then called Handkäse or Taler, or cylindrical, in which case it’s called Stangenkäse. Frequently, the small and round variety is sold in a cylindrical package, which is then called a Harzer Roller. To add to the confusion, this cheese could be called Mainzer Käse, Quargel, or Korbkäse depending on what part of Germany you are standing in.
The middle is still ripening.Harzer cheese is typically flavored with caraway. Some varieties are white mold cheeses (milder), others red mold cheeses (heartier). Both types develop a strong aroma after maturing for a few days or weeks. Harzer has a distinctive strong smell and flavor, which could be considered repulsive by some. The smell factor of Handkäse compares to other cheese assortments from France and Italy (for example, a pungent French Époisses de Bourgogne or an old Italian Taleggio). However, Handkäse also compares to German Silberberg Tilsiter, which is seemingly a milder and not so smelly a cheese. But don’t worry, in case it happened to be shoved against the back of the fridge somewhat forgotten, you’ll get an olfactory message soon enough.
Even though Harzer cheese may get overshadowed by the lively spirit of fresh French cheeses, the grand Italian Mozzarella, or a tasty Spanish Manchego, I’m pretty sure this cheese will still hold a place on my palette and health-o-meter. Reputations can change especially if we emphasize the better qualities, if anything this cheese should add years to one’s life. As for the stink, as long as it hasn’t turned to funk, I’m alright with this cheese.
I’m not sure if I’ll ever be a bonafide cheese snob compared to European standards because I still like Wisconsin (squeaky) cheese curds. But beer is another matter.
Everything looks and sounds so delicious!! I wish I was eating some cheese right now!!
I go crazy when spending time in Germany. I just love the cheeses. Tilsiter being my personal favorite. Hubby loves Limburger, but that tends to be a bit strong for me. Enjoy the eats!
If ever I find myself traveling through Europe cheese is definitely going to be on the itinerary. If I’m in Germany, specifically, then beer and chocolate are there as well. Hmm, what cheese goes best with a stout lager?
:blink: Just the sound of that cheese’s name is absolutely revolting, but you should be in sales, you even make me consider tasting it.
You should try it too!
I’m such a picky person when it comes to cheese. I’m perfectly fine with just cheddar. Though I do consider Gouda, mozzarella, and feta cheese to be “normal”.
Eating cream cheese is a real challenge for me, but salmon flavor ain’t so bad.
The other day a friend did however convince me try a new cheese. Though I don’t know what its called, it actually tasted quite good. It was sweet. Not in a cheesy sense. More like sweetened cream. And it had figs & nuts in it. It was really good. Wish I knew the name. Will try to find out
@James: In Bavaria the cheese we eat next to a beer is call Obatzter, a mixture of Camembert cheese, onions, pickles, paprika, and caraway seeds. Goes good on a Breztel. Radishes are also good with beer, makes burping a little more colorful.:blush:
@Danette: LOL Thanks for the kudos. You’ve got me curious, if you find out the name, let me know. I’m all for experimental cheese testing :thumbup:
I was almost sold on this healthy cheese nad then I discover it is Handkäse. This stuff stinks :glurps: I tried it once, but all I could think about was unwashed feet!
Hey but at least its super low fat! :tongue1:
Anyone have a recipe for handkaese?
@Monica: Do you mean, how to make Handkäse? I’d imagine that’s like asking to create a wheel of a Camembert. Best to leave that to the experts.
But as far as recipes that use Handkäse, I’ve found a few in German through google.de:
Eingelegter Handkäse mit Brot,
Handkäs mit Musik, etc.