Cheese of the week: Appenzeller

Name: Appenzeller "Classic" silver label

Place of Purchase: Wheatsfield Co-Op at 413 Douglas in Ames, Iowa

Country of Origin: Switzerland

Price in Iowa: $10.99/lb

Milk: Cow

Processing: cooked and pressed

Texture: semi-hard with small holes

Color: "straw" yellow

Rind: washed

Aroma: Diary (it is cheese) and musky floral scents.

Taste: Flavor depends on where you slice. Towards the center of the wheel, Appenzeller is a salty Swiss with a nutty aftertaste. But closer to the rind, floral notes enter the bouquet. Finally, you can taste the strong tang of white wine in cheese sliced right at the rind.
Mouth feel: firm at first, but yielding and creamy after a few moments on the tongue. Pieces taken closer to the rind offer a tingling sensation (probably from remnants of the brine wash)

Notes: Appenzeller is called "the King of Cheeses." Now, my forays into fruits have lead to an understanding that foods called "King" are not always the best or only regent of that cuisine. Still, Appenzeller is a very popular Swiss cheese worldwide. The secret of Appenzeller's popularity lies with its manufacturing process. Appenzeller is a typically Swiss cheese, made from scaled cow's milk. But after it has been pressed, it is soaked for months in a brine made from a secret mix of white wine and various herbs and spices.

Appenezller comes in three ages, Classic or Silver label, Gold Label and Extra or Black Label. Classic is only aged for three months, whileBlackLabel is aged for more than six. Gold Label falls somewhere in the middle. I had the Classic, and it was very flavorful. I can only imagine how much more flavor the cheese will pick up after a few more months absorbing the brine.

I first tried this cheese at a tasting party, so I only ate a little piece. The white wine and floral flavors exploded in my mouth. Once those flavors began to subside, the nutty/umami aftertaste provided a mellow finishing note. I loved it so much, I went out and bought my own. I shared it with some friends as part of an appetizer course, and through some experimentation we learned about the variation in flavor based on proximatey to the rind. Personally, I enjoy the flavor profile from slices in the middle region. The flavor of the cheese right next to the rind is overpowering, while the middle cheese is nothing special. It's good, but it's a mild Swiss.

So, I highly suggest that you try this cheese for yourself, share it with some friends, and reserve the middle slices for those you like best.