Holler for Chällerhocker

Gruyère…Emmentaler…Tête de Moine…

 These are all world-renowned staples of Switzerland that have been produced for centuries and have helped to solidify the country’s position as a place with some of the greatest cheeses to ever come into existence. Who knew that the baddest of the bunch (that’s Michael Jackson bad) just might be the new kid on the block?

Walter Räss & Brieyoncé in the cheese cave

Meet Chällerhocker, a whirlwind of wonder created by my friend master cheesemaker Walter Räss of Käserei Tufertschwil. First conceived in 2003, Chällerhocker took off like a rocket in the mouths and minds of everyone that has tasted it and hasn’t slowed down since. Chällerhocker is a cheese that combines the savory qualities of quintessential Swiss cheeses such as Gruyère with the most delicate touches of sweetness and spice interwoven through the core that combines together to create something truly unmatched. 

Chällerhocker ripe and ready to be eaten

I first met Walter in 2015 in NYC at the Cheesemonger Invitational, a competition and celebration of cheese that is the brainchild of Adam Moskowitz. Over the course of my career, I have tried thousands of cheeses but I will never forget the first time I had Chällerhocker. The experience was earth-shattering, transcendent, orgasmic…something that situated itself deep into my soul and has kept me in its grip since. Even now, I’m not sure Walter understands the extent to which his masterpiece touches everyone that tastes it. 

The flavor profile is nothing short of astonishing. Your mouth is first greeted with a taste of leek stew which then quickly transforms into a sweet graze of toasted vanilla, creamy chestnuts, and fire-roasted marshmallows dancing on the tongue. It felt like an angel had caressed my face. If Charlize Theron or Halle Berry were a cheese, this would be the one.

I’m highly honored to spend the day with him, unable to sleep since the night before. I wake up at 2am to drive to his creamery from the French Alps, eager with anticipation to finally be at one of the most sacred temples of cheeemaking I’ve been dreaming about since we’ve first met. Walter lives in the lovely hamlet of Tufertschwil, located in the canton of St. Gallen in northeastern Switzerland. His creamery is small, well organized, and impressive with a team of only 3 people that make Chällerhocker every day of the week. Walter comes from a family that makes Appenzeller, a funky aged cheese that has been produced since the 13th century. Cheesemaking is in his bones and a tradition he’s about to extend to me.

Left: Copper vat for cheesemaking

Right: Intestines of cow, a key ingredient to the process

We begin at 7:45am. I change into my uniform of a hair net and lab smock which are customary for the arts of cheesemaking and affinage. Walter takes me through the process of heating the milk and cutting the curds in an enormous copper vat (a Swiss tradition). He can produce up to 60 wheels per a day with milk sourced from 10 local farmers herding mixed breeds. The curds are transferred from the copper vat to a long table with dozens of moulds that will be used to help form the cheeses while draining the whey. 

“Swiss are very strict” he shares with me. “Here, people like to stick to what they know. Each region has its own specific cheeses and people don’t like to veer too far from that. I wanted to create something that I had in my heart, a song that needed to be sung”.

Our work is steady (is it really work or play?) as we carefully go through the proceedings to finish up the rest of the morning with the cheese make. Afterwards, we spend time in the on-site cave in which he ages Chällerhocker and Tufertschwiler. He focuses on just these cheeses which enables him to really hone his craft and get his creations as close to perfect as possible. At another location in town he has a large aging cellar where 16,000 wheels of Chällerhocker are currently being aged. The sweet spot he looks for is around 8-9 months of aging, which is enough time for the flavors and textures to develop as he envisions.  

Brieyoncé in the aging cellar in St. Gallen, Switzerland

Today Chällerhocker can be found in several countries across the globe. For those in the USA, please ask your local cheesemonger if they carry this delicacy (Murray’s Cheese & Whole Foods have this on their roster). For my friends in Paris, head on over to COW (Cheese of the World) in the 5th arrondissement to request a piece. It was made with lots of love, and you’ll be sure to taste it in every bite.