Authentic Swiss cheese-making experience for our family
As a family of four from Singapore, we were looking for a unique off-the-beaten-track activity during our visit to Switzerland in October 2024. Our tour guide, Gavino Strebel of Suisse Plus Travel, suggested we try a cheese-making class at a small dairy factory in the Entlebuch region. It was an unforgettable and very hands-on experience.
After a 1.5-hour drive from Zürich, we reached the UNESCO Biosphere Entlebuch, often affectionately called the “Wild West of Lucerne.” This region is full of natural beauty: extensive moorlands, dramatic karst formations and idyllic Alpine scenery. But we were here for the famous cheese. The dairy farm we visited mainly produces the Sbrinz cheese, a hard cheese similar to Parmesan. Sbrinz cheese is traditionally made in Central Switzerland, primarily in the cantons of Obwalden, Nidwalden, Lucerne and Zug. Since 2002, Sbrinz has been protected by the AOP (Appellation d’origine protégée) designation, ensuring it is made according to specific, traditional methods within its designated region.
At the dairy farm, we were greeted by the master cheesemaker. We first had to get into protective clothing to keep up with the hygiene standards. This outfit already made for some great pictures.
After a general introduction to the factory, we were ready to make our own cheese. Every day, cow’s milk from various farms in the region is collected and delivered to the dairy factory by truck. Before we arrived, our master cheesemaker had already poured the milk into a cistern. We added common rennet, a coagulant, which causes the milk protein (casein) to solidify into curds, separating it from the liquid whey. We then started heating the milk and stirring it in the cistern. At the same time, we removed the excess liquid (whey), and the mixture became slowly more solid. Taking pictures while stirring in the cistern was great fun and reminded us of tofu making, which we as Singaporeans, are familiar with.
In the next step, we flushed out the whey-curd mixture from the cistern into molds. The molds contain holes which allow the mixture to solidify further, letting the whey out. We were left with cheese curd. We then had to add salt to the cheese curd and press the molds with the cheese curd. This gave the cheese its final shape and removed any remaining whey.
As we only had a few hours, we could not experience the ageing process. The Sbrinz cheese is aged for at least 18 months and develops its full flavour from around 22 months. The longer the ageing process, the harder and more aromatic a cheese gets. We visited the cellar where hundreds of cheese wheels were on display and maturing slowly. Of course, we could not resist taking some pictures next to the cheese wheels.
The last activity was the cheese tasting. We got to sample various cheeses from the dairy factory, among them different stages of maturation of their famous Sbrinz cheese. The cheese was paired with walnuts, grapes and dry fruits, and some white wine or apple juice. Simply delicious!
After two hours of engaging activity at the cheese factory, we felt truly satisfied, happy, and full! The experience was incredibly authentic, allowing us to witness the entire process of traditional cheese-making – a rarity in modern dairy factories. This hands-on tour proved to be fun for all ages, making it a perfect outing for our family, which spanned three generations.
The price of the activity was surprisingly affordable, likely because this gem of a dairy factory is largely undiscovered by international tourists. The excellent value was topped off by the inclusion of a 2 kg cheese wheel for us to take home. For us, being from Singapore, the price of cheese is typically very high, making this inclusion a fantastic deal. Our helpful guide, Gavino, even assisted us by storing the large cheese wheel in his fridge until we were ready to head back to Singapore.
We highly recommend this unique and authentic cheese factory tour to any traveller visiting Switzerland. It offers incredible value and a truly genuine look into Swiss tradition.