Butterkäse, literally “cheese-butter” in German, is a semi-soft cow's milk cheese best known in the Germanic world.
Manufacturing
Like most cheeses, Butterkäse is made from cow's milk with the help of mesophilic bacteria. It is also made acidic with the help of thermophilic bacteria. Production is carried out using a large quantity of rennet and at a high renneting temperature (between 40 and 42 ° C). The duration in which the milk curds is therefore very short and produces an intense lactic fermentation during and after manufacture. Then the curd is molded, usually in a round shape, kept warm between 38 and 40 ° C and salted with brine. Maturation lasts three to four weeks. This refining takes place at very low temperatures (between 3 and 7 ° C).
Butterkäse is often sliced and added to sandwiches or melted in the kitchen. It is sometimes found in blocks, which is more convenient for cutting. In 2012, Germany produced around 31,500 tonnes of Butterkäse.
History
The Butterkäse is a descendant of the Italian Bel Paese, which is a registered trademark. In Germany, it was apparently produced for the first time in 1928 in the national dairy Weihenstephan and then marketed. Subsequently, other countries began to produce it.
Properties and taste
As the name suggests, Butterkäse has a buttery taste and appearance. It is often described as sweet, which is due in part to its short ripening time, and slightly acidic. Its consistency is semi-soft and its texture is smooth and creamy. It is light in color, between white and orange-yellow, and has few or no holes.
The German cheese regulations specify that the water content of non-fat cheese paste is between 61% and 69%. The fat content of the dry matter is according to the classification of cheese groups between 45% and 53%.
