Sura Kees in the Montafon
A rediscovered taste experience
An entire valley is behind this specialty
What do we want to tell you about Sura Kees?
Over mountain and valley to great popularity
The Montafon looks back on one of the oldest cheese traditions in the Alpine region . From the 13th to the 17th century, sour cheese production flourished here until rennet cheese, which was easier to store and transport, replaced Montafon Sura Kees. Only in the Montafon has the knowledge of sour cheese making been preserved. After a renewed decline in the 1960s, there was a revival from the 1990s onwards - since then, Montafon Sura Kees has made a real comeback.
From milk to cheese with Brenta and Käsker
The Montafon Sura Kees has been at home in the Montafon since the 13th century. The basic production process has hardly changed since then. The traditional, artisanal method is still used on the alpine pastures. Production on the valley farms has merely been adapted to modern production standards.
First, the filtered milk matures for one to two days in brenten (wooden containers) until the cream separates. This is processed into butter and clarified butter - there is hardly any waste. The skimmed milk is soured and heated according to the recipe, causing the polma (curd) to separate. It is poured into the Käsker (= cylindrical container), where the excess whey can drain off. After being rubbed with salt, the cheese is allowed to mature in the cellar and form a muffna (= glassy, greasy rind).
Did you know that...
Montafon Sura Kees is a lean cheese with a fat content of only 1 to 10 percent?
for unparalleled flavour
Despite its low fat content, Montafoner Sura Kees has an intense flavour: initially fresh and spicy with a mild aroma, it becomes increasingly piquant and slightly sour as it matures – always with a subtle salty undertone. Thanks to its wholesome composition with low fat, low cholesterol and high-quality protein, it is considered a lean cheese alternative and is enjoying growing popularity, especially among health-conscious connoisseurs.
Recipe ideas with the Montafon specialty
A true all-rounder
Montafon Sura Kees is a versatile delight: classically with potatoes or in Keesknöpfli, but also Mediterranean with tomatoes, olives and herbs. If you don't want to cook it yourself, you can find the specialty in many Montafon restaurants - traditionally prepared or creatively interpreted.
