Mostviertler Schofkas

    
Record Number: 31
 
Disclosure Date
For many generations, sheep’s cheese has been produced by farmers in the Erlauf Valley (oral tradition).
  

Photo: BMLFUW/A...

Title
Mostviertler Schofkas
(Mostviertel sheep’s cheese)
 
 
 
 
 
Abstract or claim
Traditional production of sheep’s cheese in rolls in the Mostviertel region of Lower Austria.
Mostviertler Schofkas (‘Mostviertel sheep’s cheese’) is either a pure sheep’s cheese made from sheep’s milk or a mixed sheep’s cheese made from sheep’s and cow’s milk.
Mostviertler Schofkas derives its characteristic taste from the quality of the sheep’s milk used, which is directly related to the local diversity of pre-Alpine and Alpine plants and herbs of the region, as well as traditional knowledge of the ancient craft of cheese making.
By supporting livestock farming throughout the region, production of Mostviertler Schofkas contributes to the preservation of the Alpine cultural landscape and helps maintain the biodiversity of flora in the region’s meadows and pastures.
  
Name of product, Product class
Sheep’s cheese, cheese
  
Name of region
Mostviertel, Lower Austria, Austria 
  
Field of search
Food and Agriculture
 
Name(s) of information provider
Mostviertel regional management
  
Names of applicant for title
Mostviertel regional management
  
Holder of knowledge or associated resources 
Farmers keeping sheep in the Mostviertel region. The ‘Francisco Josephinum Food Technology Centre’ in Wolfpassing (formerly known as the Federal Dairy Institute) passes knowledge on to farmers relating to the production of this traditional sheep’s cheese.
  
Grantee(s), holder(s), assignee(s) or owner(s) of title, if any
Mostviertel regional management
   
Descriptors
- History:
Farmers have been producing sheep’s cheese for their own use in the Mostviertel region since time immemorial. Sheep had always been kept primarily for the purpose of producing wool, with the milk being produced as a by-product of this process.
 
Sheep’s cheese had already begun to appear in tax registers in Lower Austria by the Middle Ages.
 
In 1859, M.A. Becker (a member of the Imperial and Royal Geographical Society in Vienna) praised the sheep’s cheese being produced in the Ötscher area in his work ‘Reisehandbuch für Besucher des Ötscher’ (‘Travel Guide for Visitors to the Ötscher’). 
 
There is a long tradition in lower Austria of keeping sheep on Alpine pastures unsuitable for herds of cattle. As a result, sheep have been kept in the Mostviertel for centuries, as they were perfectly suited to the steep Alpine pastures and slopes.
 
Sheep’s cheese in the form of rolls was originally produced mainly in the Erlauf and Ybbs valleys of the Mostviertel, but nowadays it is produced throughout the region.
 
The tradition of producing cheese in the Mostviertel region is closely linked to the production of Mostviertler Birnmost, as the meadows given over to the orchards provided the perfect conditions for flocks of sheep.
 
Because farmers had used the Ybbstal narrow gauge railway to get to the farmers’ market in Waidhofen /Ybbs to sell their sheep’s cheese in the past, this railway was given the nickname ‘Schofkas-Express’ (‘sheep’s cheese express’).  
 
- Region:
The Mostviertel is the farthest southwest of the four quarters of Lower Austria, and encompasses the administrative districts of Amstetten, Waidhofen an der Ybbs, Scheibbs, Melk, Lilienfeld, Tulln and St. Pölten.
 
The Mostviertel region is bordered by the Danube in the north, and by the provinces of Styria and Upper Austria respectively to the south and west respectively.
 
The Mostviertel lies at altitudes ranging between 246 and 1893 metres above sea level (Ötscher).
 
The name Mostviertel comes from the pear and apple must (“Most” in German) produced there.
 
The region is hilly in the north and mountainous in the south, and extends over an area covering about 5,500 square kilometres.
 
The Mostviertel is distinguished by its high number of rivers, including the Enns, Ybbs, Erlauf, Pielach and Traisen.
 
Climate:
In terms of climate the Mostviertel is dominated by both Atlantic and Pannonian influences.
The climate is mild, with high precipitation and air humidity.
 
Annual precipitation is about 600 mm at low altitudes (Tullnerfeld), ranging up to 2,000 mm at high altitudes.
 
Summer days in the mountainous alpine environment are pleasantly refreshing, and winters are snowy. The average annual temperature is 9 °C at low altitudes, and below 3 °C at high altitudes.
 
Flora:
The mountain flora is the result of the soil and climatic conditions and characterised by a rich diversity of Alpine plants such as the orchid, gentian, cyclamen, hellebore (Helleborus niger), blue Alpine daisy (Aster alpinus), arnica, globeflower (Trollius sp.) and many others.
 
This specific diversity of Alpine grasses and herbs in the green fodder and hay produced with it provide the basis for the unique taste of Mostviertler Schofkas.
 
- Mostviertel sheep’s cheese (Mostviertler Schofkas):

Photo: BMLFUW/Rita Newman

Mostviertler Schofkas is a fresh cheese that is either a pure sheep’s cheese or mixed milk cheese made with sheep’s and cow’s milk blended together.
They have a somewhat different flavour due to the differing basic materials. The pure sheep’s cheese has a firmer texture, tastes richer and could be an interesting speciality cheese for children with an allergy to cow’s milk.
 
Mostviertler Schofkas is described in the Austrian Codex Alimentarius, Chapter B 32, ‘Milk and Milk Products’, Sub-chapter ‘Cheese’, Section D, ‘Sheep’s, Goat’s and Mixed Cheeses’, Paragraph 1, ‘Rennet – Fresh Cheese (made according to the Erlauftal Method)’.
 
Method of production:
Numerous small Alpine dairies produce Mostviertler Schofkas in a traditional manner in the region.
 
The sheep are able to graze on pastures, or are fed overwhelmingly with feedstuff from the farmer’s own holding.
 
Both the sheep’s milk and the cow’s milk used originate exclusively in the Mostviertel region.
 
The sheep’s cheese is overwhelmingly produced from April to October.
 
Both raw milk and pasteurised milk are used to produce sheep’s cheese.
 
Real Mostviertler Schofkas is produced according to the method perfected in the Erlauftal Valley – usually using pure sheep’s milk, in roll form, packaged in such a way that it is enclosed in a little whey. If mixed with cow’s milk, it is required to contain a minimum of 51 % sheep’s milk.
 
In former times, farmers used rennet from the stomachs of calves fed exclusively on milk. Production of sheep’s cheese depended on the weather, and was very difficult during hot periods. This was primarily due to the fact that this traditional production method of ‘natural acidification’ is strongly temperature-dependent.
 
Nowadays, a specific acidification culture is added to the gently warmed milk to prevent fermentation problems. After that, a few drops of rennet are added, and the milk rapidly poured into round pots. This is where the milk ‘thickens’ (‘curdling’), during which themilk separates into solid curd and liquid whey, giving the impression that the curd is ‘floating’ on the whey. The cheese is then emptied into special cups, giving it its distinctive structure and typical ‘roll’ shape.
After being left for 24 hours to rest, sheep’s cheese is sold immediately.
 
The fat content relative to dry matter content corresponds to the natural fat content of the milk, but is at least 45 %.The absolute fat content is approximately 15 % due to the low dry matter content.
 
Appearance and flavour:
Mostviertler Schofkas is produced in traditional rolls, has a soft texture, is creamy, has a smooth, shiny surface without a cheese skin, and is characterised by its mild to slightly tart flavour.
 
Mostviertler Schofkas is marketed in the form of rolls weighing between 100 and 250 g. The cheese is sold in cups sealed with foil, inside which the rolls of sheep’s cheese are bathed in the whey.
The fresh cheese marketed directly from the farm can be kept for around four to seven days. Fresh cheese in special packaging can be consumed after a longer period.
 
Nutritional value:
Mostviertler Schofkas contains highly valuable protein, vitamins A, B and D, and important minerals such as calcium, potassium and magnesium.
Sheep’s milk contains more fat (6.3 grams per 100 grams of cheese) than cow’s milk (3.8 grams). The fat composition of sheep’s milk is more favourable, however, as it contains a higher proportion of unsaturated and lower proportion of saturated fats, while its medium-chain fatty acids make it easy to digest.
Sheep’s milk contains a particularly high proportion (400 mg per litre) of heat-stable orotic acid (cow’s milk contains 100mg per litre), which, with the exception of mare’s milk, only occurs in the milk of ruminants. Consumption of orotic acids has been found to reduce the risk of attacks of gout in patients with increased levels of uric acids. They have also been credited with a regenerative effect in liver cells, are believed to have healing effects in cases of chronic hepatitis and cirrhosis of the liver, improve arterial blood flow, break down depositions in ageing tissue, and protect against oxidative stress.
 
Quality control, quality labelling:
Mostviertler Schofkas is produced subject to organic guidelines controlled by the independent ‘Austria Bio-Garantie’ checkpoint.
 
- Marketing:
Most of the cheese in the region is marketed by taverns selling that season’s must, inns along the Moststraße, gastronomic outlets, farmers’ markets, directly off farms, and through regional food retailers.
 
Connection with the geographical area and traditional knowledge:
- Specific soil and climate conditions in the Mostviertel region result in a
  richness of native Alpine flora, enabling extensive management of Alpine
  meadows and pastures with sheep.
- In harmony with the native soil: sheep are grazed on Alpine pastures,
  feeding on Alpine plants and herbs, as well as grass and hay produced
  on farms.
- The special, unique flavour and spicy aroma of Mostviertler Schofkas are
  directly related to the local Alpine flora fed to the sheep.
- The traditional craft of cheese making at small-scale cheese dairies.
- Production of Mostviertler Schofkas is the result of traditional knowledge
  passed down from generation to generation, consisting of the traditional
  knowledge and experience of shepherds (adjustment of management of
  flocks to environmental constraints, methods of keeping sheep in mountain
  areas, fodder production and feeding), as well as of Alpine cheese dairies
  and marketers.
 
- Utilisation:
Nowadays, sheep’s cheese is an indispensable part of the Heurigenjause (a traditional snack consisting of farm produce together with wine, cider or perry) in the Mostviertel. Sheep’s cheese can also be found on the menus of many local inns and restaurants.
 
Traditionally, sheep’s cheese is served with chives, salt and pepper. It is frequently also served with pumpkin seed oil or balsamic pear vinegar, garnished with tomatoes and/or cucumbers.
 
In addition to its use in the production of cheese, sheep’s milk is used as fresh milk and for producing yoghurt, curd cheese and spreads.
 
- Protection:
- 
  
Key Words 
Food and agriculture, traditional knowledge, Austria, Lower Austria, Mostviertel, Erlauftal, Ybbstal, region, cheese, sheep’s cheese, Mostviertler Schofkas, Mostviertler sheep’s cheese
  
Bibliography / References 
- Abnehmen mit MCT-Fetten?
  http://www.forum-ernaehrung.at/cms/feh/dokument.html?ctx=CH0117&doc=CMS1145603242812
- Alles frisch Schafkäse
  http://www.swr.de/kaffee-oder-tee/haushalt/-/id=2244116/nid=2244116/did=2444436/chf2ne/index.html
- BAUER, J. Die Flora der Eisenwurzen, Kulturpark Eisenstraße-Ötscherland
  http://schatzsuche.eisenstrasse.multimediaplan.kosnet.com/docs/flora_der_eisenwurzen.pdf
- Becker M. A. (1859/60): Der Ötscher und sein Gebiet 1. u. 2. Teil
  Verlag L. Grund, Wien.
- Das Mostviertel
  http://schule.josephinum.at/fileadmin/data/projekt_regionalitaet/Zusammenfassung-mostviertel.pdf
- Das Mostviertel
  http://www.mostviertel.at/birnmost.cfm
- Die Bedeutung von Schafmilch für die menschliche Ernährung
  unter Berücksichtigung des Angebotes auf dem Biomarkt
  http://orgprints.org/2728/01/schaf.pdf
- Die häufigsten Schafrassen in Österreich
  http://www.nas.boku.ac.at/fileadmin/_/H93/H932-NUWI/Studenten/Lehrveranstaltungen/Unterlagen/Kleintierkunde/KTK-Schafrassen.pdf
- GENUSS.käse.pur: Aufstieg der Schafe, 03/2008
  www.kaese.pur
- Gesunde Schafmilch
  http://schafeundziegen.wordpress.com/2006/03/30/gesunde-schafsmilch/
- Gesundheit aus der Milch
  http://www.daserste.de/moma/servicebeitrag_dyn~uid,np9wthcpk1tb13f7~cm.asp
- Haiderer C. Mild, cremig und in Rollenform. NÖN-online 2007
  210890"
- Herzlich Willkommen auf der Homepage der ARGE Mostviertler Schofkas
  http://www.mostviertel.at/schofkas/
- Käse des Monats Mai: Mostviertler Schofkas
  http://www.genuss-magazin.eu/netautor/napro4/appl/na_professional/parse.php?id=2500%2C1072004%2C%2C
- Käsefibel Schaf vs. Ziege (käse.pur II/07)
  http://www.kaesepur.at/netautor/napro4/appl/na_professional/parse.php?id=2500%2C1034587%2C%2C%2CbnBmX2NvdW50ZXJbaGl0c109NTMmbnBmX3NldF9wb3NbaGl0c109MA
- Lebensmittelinhaltsstoffe Schafskäse
  http://www.daskochrezept.de/bundeslebensmittelschluessel/naehrwerte/schafskaese_M012000_2.html
- Lexikonredaktion des Verlages F.A. Brockhaus. Käse. In: Der 
  Brockhaus Ernährung, 2. überarbeitete Auflage, Verlag F.A.
  Brockhaus, Mannheim, 2004
- Melktaler Hofkäserei
  www.melktaler-hofkaeserei.at
- Mostviertel
  http://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mostviertel
- MOSTVIERTEL IM ÜBERBLICK
  http://www.niederoesterreich.at/mostviertel/texte/artikel...1.asp?medium=MVI&sprache=d&level=1&id=36106&tt=MVI_R5
- Mostviertel/Viertel ober  dem Wienerwald
  http://www.wko.at/wknoe/stat/bezirke/text/mbezvoww.htm
- Mostviertler Schofkas
  http://www.genuss-region.at/article/archive/14310
- Mostviertler Spezialitäten
  http://www.mostviertler.at/index.htm
- Niederösterreichischer Landesverband für Schafe und Ziegen
  http://www.schafundziege.at/uploads/media/SchafZiegenfolder.pdf
- Schafskäse
  http://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Schafsk%C3%A4se
- Schafkäseerzeugung
  www.stoeckl-schofkas.at
- Orotsäuregehalt in Kuh-, Schaf- und Ziegenmilch
  http://www.db-alp.admin.ch/de/publikationen/docs/pub_WehrmllerK_2008_16993.pdf?PHPSESSID=c199353dc4eca3176a06b0eb5db3c027
- Österr. Lebensmittelbuch, Codexkapitel B 32 „Milch- und Milchprodukte“,
  Teilkapitel „Käse“, Abschnitt D „Schaf- und Ziegen- und Mischkäsesorten“
  unter Absatz 1 „Lab-Frischkäse (nach Erlauftaler Art)
- Über Land & Leute
  http://www.mostviertel.info/mostviertel/portal/default.asp?tt=MOSTVIERTEL_R3
- Ziegen- und Schafkäse
  http://www.db-alp.admin.ch/de/publikationen/docs/pub_AmreinR_2001_15986.pdf?PHPSESSID=a38090051a31945ff13d03625d43c22a
 
All internet references last accessed on 22 October 2008.
  
Language Code
German

Product of www.genuss-region.at
Yes

Regional contact 
Weinhart Gerald
Regionalmanagement Mostviertel
Mostviertelplatz 1, 3362 Öhling
Phone: 07475/53 340 300
Fax: 07475/53 340 350
Mobile: 0676/790 6471
E-mail: gerald.weinhart@mostviertel.at
www.noe-west.at
www.mostviertel.at
 
Authors: Eva Sommer, Erhard Höbaus, Doris Reinthaler
   

16.01.2012, Lebensministerium III/4