Sennerei Zillertal

"Graukäse" (literally "grey cheese") is a strongly flavoured acid-curd cheese traditionally made by poor families in Tirol from the low-fat milk which remained after the fat had been taken for use in butter making. Today, however, "Graukäse" (known in Tirolean dialect as "Graukas“) is a popular thanks to its low fat calorie count and tangy taste. Taking its name from the grey mould which usually grows on its rind, it is registered in Europe as a "protected designation of origin" (PDO) from Tirol.

Taste the difference

Don't let yourself be put off by the name or description! Although sour cheese with grey mould may sound anything but appetising, there are few tastier snacks than a slab of Graukäse with vinegar, oil and raw onions together with a slice of brown bread and butter. Graukäse is also used to make a light soup ("Graukassuppe") and as an important ingredient in cheese dumplings ("Kaspressknödel"). The milk used to make the cheese comes from cows fed only fresh grass – essential for producing milk and dairy products of the highest quality. Visitors keen to see the process with their own eyes have the chance to do so at the Zillertaler Erlebnissennerei, a working dairy run by the Kröll family where you can observe the production process and then try some of the most popular cheeses washed down with a glass of fresh milk.

The Sennerei Zillertal dairy sources its milk only from mountain farmers from the Zillertal Valley and thereby plays an important role in supporting the local economy. Dairy produce made on the farm, including many regional specialties, can be purchased in the farm shop and in a number of supermarkets across Tirol.