Photo: BMLFUW/Rit...
Flachgauer Heumilchkäse
Record Number: 59
Disclosure Date
As early as in the Middle Ages cheese was produced from hay-milk on "Schwaighof" farmhouses in the foothills and mountains of the present Federal Province of Salzburg.
From the 1860s onwards dairy farming and, consequently, cheese production has been intensified in the region of Flachgau.
Photo: BM...
Flachgauer Heumilchkäse
(Flachgau Hay-milk cheese)
Abstract or claim
Traditional processing of various types of cheese from hay-milk in the region of Flachgau, Salzburg.
Hay-milk is the term used for raw milk which is obtained from cows that are fed green fodder in summer and hay in winter. Silage fodder is banned.
Hay-milk has taste components which are directly related to the local diversity of local plants and herbs.
Flachgauer Heumilchkäse derives its characteristic taste both from the quality of hay-milk and the traditional knowledge of artisan cheese making.
Due to the extensive dairy-cow keeping the regional production of Flachgauer Heumilchkäse contributes to the sustainable preservation of the alpine and mountainous landscape and the floral biodiversity of its meadows and pastures.
Name of product, Product class
cheese, milk products
Name of region
Flachgau, Salzburg, Austria
Field of search
Food and Agriculture
Name of information provider
ARGE Heumilch
Head: Karl Neuhofer
Name of applicant for title
---
Holder of knowledge or associated resources
Hay-milk dairy farmers in the region of Flachgau
ARGE Heumilch Salzburg–Oberösterreich
Grantee(s), holder(s),
assignee(s) or owner(s) of title, if any
---
Descriptors
- History:
It can be assumed that the production of hay-milk and its further processing is as old as the keeping of dairy cows.
Cheese production in today’s Federal Province of Salzburg has a long tradition.
As early as in the Middle Ages cheese was produced from hay-milk on "Schwaighöfen" (farmhouses) in the foothills and mountains of Salzburg.
“Schwaig” is a Middle High German word which refers to a special type of settlement and, even more, farming, in Alpine regions. Often "Schwaighof" farmhouses were established as permanent settlements by sovereigns themselves and used for breeding cattle and sheep, especially for the purpose of dairy farming (in particular for cheese production); in Tyrol and Salzburg they have been documented since the 12th century. Later, the term “Schwaige” was sometimes used to refer to alpine pastures used only during the summer months. Dairymen and dairymaids are also referred to as "Schwaiger" and "Schwaigerin".
Farmers had to deliver a part of their cheese as a due to the landlords.
Up to the mid-19th century the production of cereals prevailed in the Flachgau, while dairy farming and husbandry was restricted to higher altitudes where cereal production was handicapped. Milk was processed only to butter, cream and acid-cured cheese.
From 1860 onwards the price of cereals dropped sharply due to the import of cheap cereals from Hungary by the newly built “Westbahn” (“West railroad”). As a result, dairy farming was intensified in the Flachgau and cheese dairies were founded.
In 1889 J. B. Woerle established the first cheese dairy for Emmentaler cheese in the Flachgau. Interestingly, Emmentaler remained the dominant cheese variety in the hay-milk regions of Salzburg until Austria’s accession to the European Community in 1995.
In 1993 the association “ARGE Heumilch Salzburg–Oberösterreich” was founded by hay-milk farmers and hay-milk cheese dairies. It aimed at the maintenance and promotion of hay-making in this area.
Since 1995, after Austria’s accession to the European Community, the abandonment of silage fodder has been funded within the framework of the Austrian Agri-environmental programme (ÖPUL).
In 2004, delegates from Vorarlberg, Tyrol, Salzburg, Upper Austria, and Styria founded the “Österreichische ARGE Heumilch” (Austrian consortium for hay-milk) in Innsbruck, Tyrol. This consortium is the umbrella organisation of hay-milk associations in the Austrian Federal Provinces and a voluntary association of Austrian dairy farmers and cheese dairies processing hay-milk.
Today also many other cheese varieties are produced in the region. This includes both hard cheeses (Mountain cheese, Emmentaler etc.) and semi-hard cheeses (Gouda, Mountain Tilsiter, Sennkäse and Seetaler cheese etc.).
Hay-milk is a rare speciality. Only 3% of the milk produced in Europe is hay-milk. In Austria, by contrary, the percentage is 20%.
- Region:
Photo: BMLFUW/Rita Newman
It encircles the capital Salzburg and borders Upper Austria in the north and east, Bavaria (Germany) in the west and the Salzburg region of Tennengau in the south. The area of the district totals 1,004.36 km². 80% of the area is forest and agriculturally used grassland.
The region of Flachgau is part of an interconnected hay-milk area which extends from the foothills of Upper Austria to those of Salzburg.
Climatic conditions:
The Flachgau is influenced by Atlantic climatic conditions. Winds from the west and northwest prevail and may carry air high in humidity. The air cools downs at the mountain barriers, which leads to clouds and heavy rainfall. The average annual precipitation is 1,300 mm.
Winters are rather mild for a pre-alpine area, summers are temperate.
The annual average temperature is about 12°C.
Flora:
The region of Flachgau shows typical Central-European flora resulting from the soil and climatic conditions at altitudes between 400-800 m.
The specific diversity of alpine plants and herbs in the green fodder and the hay provide for the specific taste of Flachgauer hay-milk cheese.
- Hay-milk:
Photo: BMLFUW/Rita Newman
The local diversity of alpine plants and herbs is directly related to the quality of hay-milk.
Hay-milk is characterized by but very few Clostridia spores. The presence of clostridial spores is undesirable in cheese processing as their outgrowth in raw milk may cause butyric acid fermentation and thus late-blowing defects in cheese. Moreover, clostridial spores are especially harmful to infants and toddlers. Clostridia can multiply in silage fodder but are unable to grow in dry hay.
Austrian hay-milk contains very few Clostridia spores (less than 200 /litre milk). Thus hay-milk can directly be used for cheese processing without preservatives and additives. For this reason, hay-milk has gained a peculiar reputation as special milk for the processing of hard cheeses.
In contrast, standard raw milk obtained from cows fed with silage fodder has to be treated in order to remove or suppress clostridia spores, as they are able to survive pasteurization. This is done by a special centrifugation or with preservatives (nitrate or lysozyme).
The use of hay-milk for cheese processing accommodates consumer demands for food products close to nature. Furthermore, the high calcium content (100 g hay-milk cheese cover the RDA (recommended daily allowance for adults)) and the high levels of the nutritionally and physiologically important conjugated linoleic acids (CLA) and omega-3 fatty acids are to be highlighted.
Austrian “Heumilch-Regulativ” (Hay-milk Regulation):
The Austrian Hay-milk Regulation lays down the production requirements for hay-milk.
Banned are:
- production, storage of silage or silage balls on the dairy farm, feeding of silage fodder
- production or feeding with moist hay or fermenting hay
- feeding with residues from breweries, distilleries, cideries of the food industry (e.g. draff or wet
chips)
- soaked feedingstuffs
- feedingstuffs of animal origin (milk, whey, meat-and-bone meal)
- feeding of kitchen, garden and fruit waste, potatoes and urea
- feedingstuffs with added antibiotics, chemotherapeutic substances or hormones
Feedingstuffs allowed for milk cows are:
- Green rape, green rye and fodder beet as supplementary feed up to 25% of the dry matter portion
required by dairy cattle.
- Wheat, barley, oats, triticale and maize as provender. Up to max. 25% of the provender in terms of
weight can be field beans, field peas and extracted shreds.
- Up to 1 hectare of green maize as stock in cases of seasonal green fodder shortage.
Exemption: Registered feedingstuffs in dry condition: non-molassed dry shreds.
Fertilization provisions:
The spreading of sewage sludge or its products and of compost from municipal solid waste is banned on all agriculturally used areas of the milk supplier.
Between fertilization and the use for fodder production a waiting period of three weeks is to be adhered.
Application of chemical substances:
The area-wide application of pesticides on the forage areas of the milk supplier is prohibited.
The application of registered sprays against flies (diptera) in dairy barns is allowed only when cows are not present.
Substances for udder disinfection have to be applied in a manner which excludes any contamination of the milk.
Milk delivering bans:
It is not permitted to deliver milk within the first ten days after calving and during the mandatory waiting period of medicinal products.
- Flachgauer Hay-milk cheese:
Photo: BMLFUW/Rita Newman
Flachgauer Heumilchkäse is produced both conventionally and according to the organic scheme.
Flachgauer Heumilchkäse is produced by the cheese dairies Käsehof - Seekirchen am Wallersee, Gebrüder Woerle – Henndorf, Andreas Walkner – Seeham, Käsereigenossenschaft Anthering – Anthering, and the cheese dairy Elixhausen – Elixhausen.
Flachgauer Heumilchkäse, produced by Käsehof - Seekirchen am Wallersee, bears the quality label of the Austrian marketing agency AMA (Seal of Approval).
Today a range of hay-cheese varieties are produced in the region. This includes both hard cheeses (Mountain cheese, Emmentaler etc.) and semi-hard cheeses (Gouda, Mountain Tilsiter, Sennkäse, and Seetaler etc.) as well as, on a small scale, also soft cheeses.
Depending on the cheese variety, Flachgauer Heumilchkäse has a characteristic flavour, matrix and format.
Quality control and labelling:
Hay-milk cheeses bearing the AMA Seal of Approval are subject to independent controls. Moreover, the AMA quality label stands for outstanding, above-average quality criteria and traceable origins.
- Marketing:
Hay-milk for Flachauer Heumilchkäse is marketed by farmers and dairies which are members/partners of the “Arbeitsgemeinschaft der Heumilchbauern und der Verarbeiter von Heumilch in den Bundesländern Salzburg und Oberösterreich“ (“ARGE Heumilch Salzburg–Oberösterreich“).
Cheese dairies are: Käsehof - Seekirchen am Wallersee, Gebrüder Woerle – Henndorf, Andreas Walkner – Seeham, Käsereigenossenschaft Anthering – Anthering, Käserei Elixhausen – Elixhausen.
Connection with the geographical area and Traditional Knowledge:
- Specific soil and climate conditions in the region of Flachgau result in a richness of native flora
- Strong link with the area: Milk cows are grazed and/or are fed with grass and hay produced on
the holdings
- The special, unique flavour and the spicy aroma of Flachgauer Heumilchkäse are directly related
to the local flora fed to the dairy cows
- The production of Flachgauer Heumilchkäse is the result of Traditional Knowledge passed on from
generation to generation: The Traditional Knowledge and expertise of dairy cow farmers (adapting
the management of herds to environmental constraints, methods of keeping dairy cows in mountain
areas, methods of hay making, methods of feeding with green fodder and hay, avoiding silage
fodder) and of alpine dairies (production, ripening and storage of cheese)
- Utilization:
Hay-milk is not only used for the production of cheese, but also for other milk products. Hay-milk has a special reputation as fresh milk.
- Protection:
-
Key Words
Food and agriculture, Traditional Knowledge, Austria, Salzburg, region, Flachgau, hay-milk, hay-milk cheese, Flachgauer Heumilchkäse, Flachgauer Hay-milk cheese
Bibliography / References
- EHRLICH, M. (2006): Untersuchung von Molkereimilchprodukten aus Deutschland auf gesundheitlich
bedeutsame Fettsäuren (Omega 3, Omega 6, CLA) unter Berücksichtigung des eingesetzten
Maisfutters; University of Kassel, Witzenhausen, June 2006.
- GINZINGER, W.; KUPFNER, B.; TSCHAGER, E.; ZANGERL, P. (1995): Trockenschnitte als Futtermittel
für hartkäsetaugliche Milch; Milchwirtschaftliche Berichte 125, 184 – 186.
- GINZINGER, W.; TSCHAGER, E. (1993): Einfluss der Fütterung auf die Qualität von Milch und
Milchprodukten; Österreichisches Braunvieh 23, 4 – 6.
- MOREL I., WYSS U., COLLOMB M. (2006): Grünfutter- oder Silagezusammensetzung und
Milchinhaltstoffe; Agrarforschung 13, 228-233.
- Codex Alimentarius Austriacus, Codex Chapter B 32: Milk and milk products.
- Proceedings ALFA Annual Meeting 2001, 29 -31 May 2001, Wolfpassing, 163 – 165.
- SCHREIBER, M. (2002): Gehalt an konjugierten Linolsäuren (CLA) in österreichischer Trinkmilch
unterschiedlicher Provenienz; Diploma thesis at the Federal Research Institute for Alpine Dairying
at Rotholz.
- TSCHAGER, E., GINZINGER, W., DILLINGER, K. (2001):
Fettsäurespektrum des Milchfettes in Abhängigkeit von Fütterung und Haltung.
- TSCHAGER, E.; ZANGERL, P.; SEBASTIANI, H.; KNEIFEL, W.; LANG, C.; LEGNER, H. (1994):
Organoleptische, technologische und ernährungsphysiologische Eigenschaften von Almmilch;
Milchwirtschaftliche Berichte 120, 152-157.
- ARGE Heumilch (Austrian consortium for hay-milk)
http://www.heumilch.at
- Käsegeschichte Österreich (Austrian cheese history)
http://www.kaesesommelier.at/fileadmin/vksoe/downloads/Kaesegeschichte.pdf
- Bezirk Salzburg-Umgebung (District of Salzburg-Umgebung)
http://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Flachgau
- Geschichte des Bezirkes (History of the District)
http://www.salzburg.gv.at/themen/se/bezirke/bh-su/bhsu-geschichte.htm
- Salzburg-Hinweise (Salzburg Information)
http://www.tiscover.at/at/guide/5,de,SCH1/objectId,RGN18at,adviceObjectId,ADV472164at,folder,ADVICE,season,at1,selectedEntry,hint/hint.html
- Regionaler Kurzüberblick (Summary of the Region)
http://www.salzburg.gv.at/klima_regional.pdf
- Klimatographie von Salzburg (Climatography of Salzburg)
http://www.salzburg.gv.at/klimaatlas.pdf
- Salzburg Land
http://aeiou.iicm.tugraz.at/aeiou.encyclop.s/s033420.htm
- salzburg-oberoestkaese.at
http://www.salzburg-oberoestkaese.at/
- Flachgauer Heumilchkäse
http://www.genuss-region.at
- Käsehof
http://www.kaesehof.at/index.php?id=406&L=0
- Verwaltungsbezirk Salzburg-Umgebung (Administrative district Salzburg-Umgebung)
http://www.salzburg.gv.at/flachgau.htm
- Wörle
www.woerle.at
- Salzburg-Umgebung
http://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bezirk_Salzburg-Umgebung
- Flachgau
http://aeiou.iicm.tugraz.at/aeiou.encyclop.f/f481171.htm
- Klimaregionen in Österreich (Climate regions in Austria)
http://www.htl-kaindorf.ac.at/www2/Internet_EDVO/elc/e_allgemein/Geographie/Oesterreich/Sequenz2.htm
- Salzburger Land- Salzburg-Salzkammergut. Allianz Reiseführer, Verlag Karl Baedeker
http://books.google.at/books?id=8pQdjkhH8NsC&pg=PA20&lpg=PA20&dq=Flachgau+atlantisches+Klima&source=web&ots=URVbTROXT0&sig=6rfEEF2c2gJ7PYUQKiZ3GM-lN30&hl=de&sa=X&oi=book_result&resnum=7&ct=result - Seal of Approval
http://kaesewelt.cn.agenturdns.net/index.php?id=290&L=1
- Schwaige
http://aeiou.iicm.tugraz.at/aeiou.encyclop.s/s433158.htm;internal&action=_setlanguage.action?LANGUAGE=en
All internet references last accessed on 22. September 2008.
Language Code
German
Product of www.genuss-region.at
Yes
Regional contact
ARGE Heumilch
Head: Karl Neuhofer
Haidach 4
5204 Strasswalchen
Phone/Fax: 06215-8370
Authors: Mag. Eva Sommer, Dr. Erhard Höbaus
12.07.2010, Lebensministerium III/4