cheezy Cheese tour: Engelberg show dairy

"New month, new range" - that is our credo. To achieve this, we have to constantly expand our network of cheese dairies and visit many of them in person. This is the only way to get the finest cheese specialties that find their way into our cheese boxes and are often recommended to us personally by the cheesemaker! So Christa and Michel got on the train and visited cheesemaker Walter Grob, who is also the owner of the Engelberg cheese dairy.

The show dairy is the only one in Switzerland to be located in a monastery, namely Engelberg Monastery, which was founded by Konrad von Sellenbüren in 1120. The show dairy is located in the middle of the cheese store, which also houses a small café. In addition to cheese specialties from its own production, cheeses from the region are also sold. Every day from 10:00 to 15:00, you can experience how regional milk is turned into cheese by hand. The cheese dairy has now been in existence for 20 years and Walter Grob took it over in 2015.   

Christa and Michel immediately noticed the halloumi, which is prominently displayed on the customer display in front of the cheese dairy. Doesn't it come from Greece? Or from Cyprus? Questions to which cheesemaker Walter Grob is sure to have an answer. After a tour of the cheese store, including the show dairy, a small cheese platter with local specialties is served. Walter joins Christa and Michel, tells them about the history of the cheese dairy and explains the special features of the cheeses on display.

Halloumi quickly emerges as the main topic. This is a classic summer cheese that originated in Cyprus. The Engelberg halloumi was created when Walter received a request from a hotel chef last year for a grilled cheese that would be suitable for hot dishes. So he set to work and created a halloumi in two flavors: Nature and BBQ. The neutral version is suitable for those who like to experiment and want to season their cheese themselves. The BBQ version is refined with a special blend of spices. When Michel asked what the spice mix consists of, Walter only had a tired smile - so it remains a monastery secret :)

Halloumi recipe ideas
Halloumi is perfect as a meat substitute. You can prepare it either on the grill or in a frying pan. Grill/fry for approx. 3 minutes on each side and it's ready to eat. You can use it for a juicy burger, a fresh salad or a warm sandwich. You can also find more recipe ideas on the swissmilk website.

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