Bergkäse

Bergkäse (German for 'mountain cheese') refers to a number of varieties of cheese produced in the Alps. This includes products of mountain farming, the cultivation of alpine pastures as well as the milk processing of local producers in dairies. The term does not say much about the type or production method of the product called mountain cheese, which is usually a hard or semi-hard cheese with no or little holes (also called eyes), usually with a natural rind, but there are also semi-hard cheeses and soft cheeses under this designation. The term is used also generically (especially in Austria) for Swiss-type or Alpine cheeses, which resemble these in taste and texture but do not come from one of the traditional cheese making regions. The texture is rather hard, sometimes with small holes or cracks, the flavour strong and often a bit nutty.