Bio-Schafzucht Hautzinger
Organic sheep dairy in Tadten, in the Seewinkel. Fresh sheep's milk is made daily into yogurt and cheese, sold in the farm shop and at the Neusiedl am See and Parndorf markets.
About Topfen
Topfen is the Austrian and Bavarian word for quark, a fresh cheese set mainly by lactic acid with a little rennet. Austria's food code (Lebensmittelbuch, chapter B 32) lists Speisetopfen among the fresh cheeses made from cow's milk; a cheese from sheep's or goat's milk is named for its milk. German Wikipedia names Topfenknödel and Topfenstrudel among the Austrian dishes made with it, and its article on Burgenland cuisine says Topfenstrudel was on farmhouse tables year-round. In the Seewinkel, Bio-Schafzucht Hautzinger in Tadten sells a sheep's milk Topfen at its farm shop and markets. Not protected.
Made in: Austria and Bavaria, where quark is called Topfen; in Burgenland, sheep's milk Topfen from Hautzinger in Tadten, in the Seewinkel
On the plate
Mild, lightly sour and aromatic, white to ivory, per Austria's food code. German Wikipedia describes quark as milky white to cream yellow depending on fat, evenly soft and smooth. Fat grades run from lean to double cream.
Rind: none, eaten fresh
Wine and cheese
What to pour with Topfen
Late-harvest Muskat Ottonel Burgenland
Our pickTopfen fills Topfenstrudel, a Burgenland farmhouse strudel. Kracher's Muskat Ottonel Auslese is sweet and medium-bodied with high acidity and a floral mandarin and jasmine nose: sweet enough for the dessert, fresh enough to lift the mild, lightly sour curd.
Pinot-blend Ruster Ausbruch DAC Burgenland
Our pickTopfen fills Topfenstrudel, a Burgenland farmhouse strudel. A Pinot Blanc and Pinot Gris Ruster Ausbruch is medium-bodied, sweet and high in acidity, with dried apricot and honey: enough to carry the dessert without burying the mild curd.
The grapes behind these winesMuskat OttonelPinot Blanc
From the source
Where to buy and taste it
fein und kost
Delicatessen, bistro and aperitif bar in the centre of Neusiedl am See. Its own site lists Jumi cheese among the products sold to take away; the tourism board says it serves cheese from Jumi and Hautzinger.
Cheese experiences nearby
Markt der Erde Parndorf (Slow Food Earth Market)
Slow Food Earth Market in the market barn at Schulgasse 1g, opened in 2010 as Austria's first and started by Monika Liehl with Slow Food Burgenland. Regular stalls include Hautzinger sheep cheese and Reumann goat cheese.
Archehof Zur Grube tour with tasting
Tour of an organic heritage-breed farm and its Styrian Spotted goats, ending with a tasting of its goat cheese, fig chutney and herb syrups. Book by phone.
Bauernmarkt Neusiedl am See
Weekly farmers' market on the main square of Neusiedl am See, in front of the Rathaus. Bio-Schafzucht Hautzinger of Tadten has a stand with sheep's milk, Topfen and yogurt.
Topfen: questions
Is Topfen the same as quark?
Yes. German Wikipedia gives Topfen as the Bavarian and Austrian standard German word for Quark.
What milk is Topfen made from?
Cow's milk as a rule: Austria's food code lists Speisetopfen among the fresh cheeses from cow's milk, and one made from sheep's or goat's milk is named for its milk. Hautzinger in Tadten makes a sheep's milk Topfen.
What is it used for in Burgenland?
Wikipedia's article on Burgenland cuisine says Topfenstrudel, with Bohnenstrudel and Kartoffelstrudel, was on farmhouse tables year-round.
Plan the trip
Visit Topfen country
Tastings and tours where it is made, and somewhere to stay.
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Sources: de.wikipedia.org, www.genussblog.at. The drawing is made from the cheese's recorded shape, rind and paste, not a photograph.