Weißlacker
Also known as: Allgäuer Weißlacker, Weisslacker
Weißlacker is a German semi-soft rindless PDO cheese from pasteurised cow's milk, with a lacquer-like white smear and a very piquant taste.
Weißlacker, also called Allgäuer Weißlacker, is a German semi-soft PDO cheese with no true rind, coated in a whitish, lacquer-like smear called Morge. It is a cube with sides of 11 to 13 cm and a weight of about 1 to 2 kg, or about 0.5 kg in smaller packs. The taste is very piquant and slightly acrid.
It is made only from pasteurised cow's milk with salt, specific cultures and rennet. The key is psychrophilic lactic cultures, used for centuries only in this area. At the end of ripening they form a liquid, lacquer-like smear that no other cheese shows. Ripening lasts 12 to 15 months at 6–8 °C. The cheese is fatty but not sticky, ripens evenly and has small holes from moulding. Fat in dry matter is usually 45 % (40–50 %), dry matter 45–49 %, salt about 5 %.
Weißlacker was first made in 1874 by the Kramer brothers in Wertach in the Allgäu, who received a royal patent for it in 1876. It is the first cheese in the world protected by a patent. The area is the Swabia district of Bavaria plus the districts of Ravensburg and Lake Constance in Baden-Württemberg; at least 70 % of the cows' feed must come from it.
Why it matters to you: the PDO name means an Allgäu cheese made with special cultures, a lacquer-like smear and a very piquant taste. It is not a mild everyday cheese. See also German cheeses and washed-rind cheeses.
Facts
| Registered | PDO; Reg. (EU) 2015/301 (2015) |
|---|---|
| Raw material | Pasteurised cow's milk |
| Region | Swabia in Bavaria, districts of Ravensburg and Lake Constance, Germany |
| Duration | 12–15 months at 6–8 °C |
| Taste | Very piquant, slightly acrid |
| Legal basis | Reg. (EU) 2015/301 (2015) |
How it connects to Cheese
Weißlacker → kind of → 🟠 Washed-rind cheeses → kind of → 🧀 Cheese
Links
- Made from which milk
- 🥛 Cow's milk
- Part of
- 🟠 Washed-rind cheeses, 🏷️ Protected cheese names, 🇩🇪 German cheeses
Frequently asked questions
What milk is Weißlacker made from?
Only pasteurised cow's milk, with salt, specific cultures and rennet.
How long does it ripen?
12 to 15 months at 6–8 °C.
How heavy is it?
A cube with 11–13 cm sides weighs 1–2 kg; smaller packs about 0.5 kg.
What does it taste like?
Very piquant and slightly acrid, with a rustic edge.
Is it true that the white coat is mould?
No. The white lacquer-like surface is a liquid smear from special cultures, not mould.
Similar
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ℹ️ Dairy products contain lactose and milk proteins: if you are lactose intolerant or allergic to milk protein, ask a doctor.