Käseheldin - der Laden
Cheese shop in Krems run by a cheese sommelière who grew up in Spitz, open since November 2021. Small producers, homemade chutneys, a small wine selection and tastings by arrangement.
About Mostviertler Schofkas
Mostviertler Schofkas is a fresh sheep's milk cheese from the Mostviertel in Lower Austria, shaped into rolls of about 100 to 250 g and sold in sealed cups with the whey around them. It is made from pure sheep's milk or from sheep and cow milk with at least 51 percent sheep. Austria lists it in its register of Traditional Foods (no. 31); it has no protected designation. The register names the Melktal among the valleys where farms have made it for generations and counts the Melk district in the Mostviertel; Melk is the western end of the Wachau. Käsehütte Maria Taferl, with market stalls in Melk and Krems, lists Mostviertler sheep cheese in its range.
Made in: Mostviertel, Lower Austria (districts Amstetten, Waidhofen an der Ybbs, Scheibbs, Melk, Lilienfeld, Tulln and St. Pölten)
On the plate
Mild to slightly sour, with a fine, creamy structure and a smooth, glossy surface without a skin. Pure sheep's milk gives a firmer, richer body than the sheep and cow mix. Fat is at least 45 percent of dry matter, about 15 percent absolute.
Rind: none, eaten fresh
Wine and cheese
What to pour with Mostviertler Schofkas
Grüner Veltliner Federspiel (Wachau DAC) Wachau
Our pickLight and fresh on both sides. The cheese is a mild, slightly sour, creamy sheep curd, traditionally served with chives, salt and pepper; the Federspiel's white pepper and crisp apple echo that seasoning without weighing on the curd.
Riesling Federspiel (Wachau DAC) Wachau
Our pickThe cheese is often served with tomatoes and cucumbers; a light, dry Riesling Federspiel with citrus freshness lifts the mild, creamy sheep curd without weighing on it.
Gelber Muskateller Federspiel (Wachau DAC) Wachau
Our pickFloral Muscat blossom and orange zest in a light, dry wine sit gently beside a fresh, creamy sheep cheese, as the same wine does with fresh ricotta.
The grapes behind these winesGrüner VeltlinerRieslingGelber Muskateller
From the source
Where to buy and taste it
Käsehütte Maria Taferl
Cheese shop with its own ripening cellar in Maria Taferl, and weekly stalls on Pfarrplatz in Krems (Friday, Saturday) and Rathausplatz in Melk (Wednesday). It also sells bread, wine and meats.
Cheese experiences nearby
Cheese-making Sunday at Hofkäserei Paget
A Sunday making cheeses such as camembert and ricotta together, with tasting and questions in the production and ripening rooms, the stable and under the apple tree. Food and drink are included.
Cheese and wine tasting at Käseheldin
A guided tasting of 5 cheeses with 5 glasses of wine at Käseheldin in Krems, on which cheese suits which wine (tannin, acidity, residual sugar). Booked ahead, also outside shop hours.
Kremser Genussmarkt
Saturday market on the Pfarrplatz in Krems with about 50 producers from the town and around it, from vegetables and bread to fish, meat, wine and cheese specialties.
Mostviertler Schofkas: questions
Is Mostviertler Schofkas a protected cheese?
No. It is entered in Austria's register of Traditional Foods (register number 31), which lists foods made with traditional knowledge in Austria for at least three generations or 75 years; the entry gives no protection.
How is Schofkas served?
Traditionally with chives, salt and pepper. It is also served with pumpkin seed oil, or with a little pear balsamic vinegar, tomatoes and cucumbers.
When is it made?
Mostly from April to October, from raw or pasteurised milk produced in the Mostviertel.
Plan the trip
Visit Mostviertler Schofkas country
Tastings and tours where it is made, and somewhere to stay.
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Sources: www.bmluk.gv.at, kaesehuette.at. The drawing is made from the cheese's recorded shape, rind and paste, not a photograph.