A hint of garlic? Summer blossom rind or a subtle note of chili? Or perhaps sweet pieces of fig? Behind these extraordinary creations is Nicho Mühlbauer, who crafts high-quality cheeses with great passion and genuine craftsmanship at his cheese dairy in Schönau am Königssee.
The 25-year-old from the Allgäu region is a trained dairy technologist and went on to graduate from the master craftsman school in Kempten. “But I prefer to call myself a cheese maker, because that’s exactly where my passion lies. Everything we do is handmade,” he explains.
Nicho moved to the Berchtesgadener Land for love. His wife, Ramona, worked as a dairymaid in Schönau am Königssee. And, understandably, she didn’t want to leave the region. 😊
From Fresh Milk to Aged Cheese
Nicho processes up to 2,000 liters of milk in a single production day.
The milk comes from two farms in Bischofswiesen and from a farmer in Schönau am Königssee. Nicho personally picks up the milk from the farmers using his homemade milk truck.
In about eight hours, this yields between 120 and 200 kilograms of cheese. The milk is first heated, then processed in a traditional copper kettle, and finally pressed. The fresh cheese wheels then spend about 1.5 days in brine, which imparts flavor and helps form the rind.
After that, the actual aging process begins. The aging cellar can hold up to 400 wheels. There, they are regularly treated with a horsehair brush and brine. In technical terms, this is called “greasing.”
Most types of cheese age for about nine months, while the tangy cheese used to make grated cheese ages for significantly longer.
It is precisely this aromatic grated cheese that is served at the JENNERALM. Chef Josef Meneder uses it in his homemade cheese spaetzle and cheese dumplings, served either in a hearty beef broth or on a fresh salad.
“I buy locally because, first of all, I love the taste of the products, and second, I want the value added to stay in the region,” says Josef, explaining his philosophy.
If you’d like to take some of these specialty cheeses home with you, you’ll find them at the farm shop at the Jennerbahn valley station. Nicho and his wife Ramona offer their entire selection of cheeses there.
There are also homemade dumpling specialties, fruity chutneys to accompany the cheese, jams, and homemade butter.
The selection is rounded out by select products from regional partners, including pasta from the Niedermayer Bakery in Ramsau, flour and ancient grain products from the Chiemgau region, and specialty salamis from the Drexler Butcher Shop in Reichenhall. And now, during the summer, there’s also delicious farm-fresh ice cream from Ramsau.
You can find cheese from the Königssee Village Cheese Factory here:
Farm stand at the Jennerbahn valley station
Edeka Hölzlwimmer, Schönau am Königssee, and Berchtesgaden
Edeka Dorrer, Bad Reichenhall and Panoramapark locations
At the “Kaskastl” at the Schusterstein Inn in Schönau am Königssee
and, of course, on the plates at the Jenneralm.
