2017 Käse-Kaiser - Awards for Austria's best cheese products
Celebrating 20 years of Käse-Kaiser, AMA-Marketing honoured Austria’s best cheese products at the 2017 Käse-Kaiser Awards, held on 24 November at Palais Ferstel.
The Käse-Kaiser is Austria’s most prestigious cheese award and recognises the best cheese specialities on the market. The winners were chosen from a total of 191 entries, and the coveted statues were awarded in ten categories: ‘cottage cheese’, ‘soft cheese’, ‘mild semi-hard cheese’, ‘rich semi-hard cheese’, ‘piquant semi-hard cheese’, ‘hard cheese’, ‘organic cheese’, ‘cheese specialities and traditions’, as well as ‘innovation’. There was also an award for the most popular Austrian cheese in Germany.
In the first phase, a panel of 80 judges, made up of cheese connoisseurs, trade journalists, producers and industry representatives, selected the five best cheeses in each category from among all entries. An independent committee of national and international experts then chose the best of the best. Nine Schärdinger and two Tirol Milch cheese specialities were nominated, underling the company’s outstanding competence in the area of cheese-making.
Schärdinger cheese specialities awarded four gold statues:
In category ‘cheese specialities and traditions’: Schärdinger Affineur Le Rosé
Schärdinger Affineur Le Rosé is a hard cheese that is treated with rosé wine, herbs and spices. Its surface structure formed from grapes and grape leaves, makes this an unequivocal cheese speciality.
In the ‘most popular Austrian cheese in Germany’ category: Schärdinger Kärtner Rahmlaib
Rahmlaib from Schärdinger is manufactured according to old Carinthian recipes. The texture is firm, soft and smooth and it has a yellow-gold colour. Red culture ripening gives it its slightly tangy to piquant and spicy flavour.
In the ‘soft cheese’ category: Schärdinger Kaisertaler
Schärdinger Kaisertaler is a soft cheese with an especially smooth-melting texture. The natural rind has a pure, fine dusting of milk mould, giving this cheese a delicate bite. Schärdinger Kaisertaler had already won a Käse-Kaiser in 2014.
In the ‘innovation’ category: Schärdinger Österkron cave ripened
Schärdinger Österkron cave-ripened is a fine mould cheese speciality. After being made, it is left to ripen for around six weeks in a natural cave cellar, which gives the cheese its distinctive, slightly tangy taste. Schärdinger Österkron cave-ripened won the bronze award at the World Cheese Championship Contest 2016 in Wisconsin, USA.
At this year’s awards, it won the gold statue in the ‘innovation’ category. “We are delighted to have won these four Käse-Kaisers at the 2017 awards, especially the one for innovation,” said Gerald Kotzauer, Director of Sales and Marketing at Berglandmilch eGen.
“Such awards confirm the top quality of our cheese specialities and the effectiveness of our long-term quality strategy. "These high-quality cheese specialities are appreciated by consumers in Austria and abroad, said Josef Braunshofer," Managing Director of Berglandmilch eGen.
Credits: Martin Steiger, AMA