Montafon Sura Kees

The Montafon Sura Kees is a regional speciality, which has characterised the Montafon through the centuries. Its history had highsandlows. Its taste and smell are unparalleled. Together with the Montafon, it stands for one of the oldest cheese traditions of the Alpine pastures. With her family business, Christine Fitsch is part of this tradition and is known beyond the valley for her Sura Kees products.

The Montafon can boast of one of the oldest traditions in cheese making in the Alpine region. From the 12th to the 17th century the sour cheese production in the Montafon thrived, however, the Montafon Sura Kees faced strong competition with the emerging rennet cheese. Better storage and transport capacities made the rennet cheese more suited to supra-regional trade and thus drove out the Sura Kees. The knowledge relating to Sura Kees is solely preserved in the Montafon. However, the cheese steeped in history had to withstand another crisis. After many Montafon Alpine dairies disappeared in the 1960s, there was a comeback in the 90s. The traditional Montafon Sura Kees became more and more popular and started the current high.

The Montafon has been home to the Montafon Sura Kees since the 12th century. The basic procedure during the production has hardly changed since. The traditional, artisanal method is still implemented on the Alpine pasture. The production in valley companies has only been adapted to the modern production standards. The first step on the way to the taste experience of the Montafon Sura Kees is the filtering of milk. In the “Brenten” (wooden tubs), it matures for one to two days until the cream moves to the surface. “I work the cream into butter and clarified butter. It turns out next to no by-products,” says Christine Fitsch. The remaining skimmed milk is soured and warmed depending on the secret recipe of the Alpine dairyman or dairywoman. As a result, the “Bolma” [curd] separates and rises to the surface. It is filled in the “Käsker” [cylindrical tub] where the excess whey can drain off. Following the rubbing with salt, the cheese should rest in the cellar and develop a “Muffna” [transparent, fatty rind].