How does milk influence the taste of cheese?

31.01.2023

Milk is one of the most important components of cheese. In the interview with the management of the Fromagerie Amstutz, we find out how the milk from the region gives the cheese its unique taste.

  • How does milk influence the taste of cheese?

The development of taste begins with the feed. If a cow feeds on fresh grass from the meadows in the Bernese Jura region, this influences the taste of the milk and thus the cheese. The secondary substances of the grass remain in the product right through to the cheese. And so a cheese tastes different depending on the feed and the flora of the pastures.

  • What makes milk from the region special?

The flora of the pastures in the Bellelay region gives the cheese a unique aroma. In the Jura mountain meadows, the cows enjoy the special composition of herbs and aromatic plants from spring to autumn and the aromatic hay in winter. It is these herbs and plants that give Bernese Jura cheese its unmistakable character and taste, which is shaped by its natural environment.

  • What characterises the cooperation between the cheese dairies and the milk producers of the region?

Since 1956, the Fromagerie Amstutz cheese dairy has been located two bends from the place of origin of the famous Tête de Moine AOP. The same mountainous region with its pastures is home to the farms of these cow's milk producers. The mutual trust, established over several generations, means that both parties can concentrate their know-how in order to have quality products for the consumers.