An industry trade show wouldn’t be the same without Appenzeller® cheese on display! The beloved Swiss variety will be making its showcase once again at the 2024 Summer Fancy Food Show next month, and Reto Steiger, Head of Marketing and Market Development for SO Appenzeller Käse GmbH, shared all I need to know.
“We will represent the brand, the consortium, and showcase the main cheese varieties at the Summer Fancy Food Show. Natural ingredients from the Appenzellerland, the traditional craftsmanship, the mysterious herbal brine, and a rigorous quality control are the characteristics for Appenzeller cheese. There is an Appenzeller cheese for every taste,” Reto told me.
The products that will be on display include:
“The secret herbal brine is the reason why Appenzeller is so uniquely aromatic. The secret of the herbal brine remains as cherished today as it was hundreds of years ago,” Reto explained. “The liquid herbal brine is diluted with water and salt and regularly applied (smeared) to the rind of the cheese during the maturing process. It eventually permeates the entire cheese and gives Appenzeller its characteristic tangy taste. As the cheese matures and is refined for longer with the herbal brine, the aromas and flavors intensify, and the cheese becomes more savory and robust.”
Appenzeller cheese is a 100 percent natural product. It is made with raw milk from grass fed cows; lactose- and gluten-free; contains no preservatives, flavor enhancers, or colorings; and is non-GMO.
“Switzerland’s tastiest cheese comes to life in the idyllic Alpine region known as Appenzellerland,” Reto continued. “Twice a day, farmers bring their fresh and still warm cow’s milk to one of the authorized cheese dairies where master cheese makers use their years of expertise and more than 700 years of artisanal tradition to transform it into delicious Appenzeller cheese.”
According to Reto, Appenzeller is the best-selling semi-soft cheese of Switzerland and is a must have for every cheese counter and cheese shelf. It belongs to the top three cheeses of Switzerland in terms of sales volumes.
“We are excited to meet with our business partners as well as potential new customers to discuss with them how we can best support their product launches with a customized program. We are dedicated to supporting growth plans in the United States and are open to discuss all kinds of cooperations with importers, distributors, and retailers,” Reto concluded.
Be sure to stop by booth #651 at the upcoming show. We hope to see you there!
