AOP, first protected 2003Cow milk, rawSemi, hardWashed rindAlso Walliser Raclette
A full-fat, semi-hard cheese from raw cows' milk, with milk production, processing and ageing confined to the canton of Valais. It is made in copper vats and matured on raw spruce boards, the smear rind brushed with a soft brush; feeding silage to the dairy cows is banned. Wheels are 29 to 32 cm across and 6 to 8 cm high, and weigh 4.6 to 5.8 kg. The name of the village dairy or alp is stamped on the rim, such as Bagnes, Orsières or Gomser: these are marks within one AOP, not separate cheeses. It was entered in the Swiss register in 2003 (decision amended after a 2007 Federal Court ruling); the consortium says cheese melting was known in Valais by 1574.
Taste: Fresh milk, butter and cream, supported by a sour note, with plant and fruit notes dominating, as the register specifies. The paste is smooth, supple and fine, with a milky, floral smell.
Ageing: 3 months minimum at 7 to 14 °C, on raw spruce boards
Made in: Canton of Valais (milk production, processing and ageing, with one alp at Kandersteg, Bern, as the only exception)
AOP, first protected 2003Cow milk, rawHardBrushed rindAlso Walliser Raclette Hobelkäse
The extra-hard variant of Raclette du Valais, protected as one of its two specifications. At 3 to 4 months the wheel is soaked in a 22 to 25 °C water bath and its smear is brushed off; once dry it is rubbed with two parts vegetable oil to one part seasoned table vinegar and stood upright on racks. It matures for at least 12 months. Wheels are 29 to 32 cm across, 4 to 6 cm high and weigh 3.3 to 5 kg. Hobelkäse means planing cheese: it is shaved into thin slices, and the consortium suggests it as an aperitif or a dessert.
Taste: Medium salty and slightly milky, with a sour note under dominant plant and fruit notes. The smell is slightly milky and floral, and the paste is firm, hard and slightly brittle.
Ageing: 12 months minimum, after a water bath and oil and vinegar rub at 3 to 4 months
Made in: Canton of Valais (milk production, processing and ageing, with one alp at Kandersteg, Bern, as the only exception)
AOP, first protected 2003Cow milk, rawSemi, hardWashed rindAlso Walliser Raclette Schnittkäse
The table-cheese version of Raclette du Valais, protected as one of its two specifications. It uses the same raw milk, copper vats and brown-orange smear rind, but may be sold after two months. Wheels are 29 to 32 cm across and 6 to 8 cm high, and weigh 4.3 to 5.8 kg. The consortium sells cut cheese in the same wheel as Walliser Bergkäse, from Valais mountain milk, and as Raclette du Valais AOP Alpkäse, made in alp dairies and matured at least two months as a cut cheese and three if it is to be melted.
Taste: Milky and fresh, with a sour note and plant and fruit notes, and a smooth, supple, fine paste. The smell is milky, fresh and floral, as the register specifies.
Ageing: 2 months minimum at 7 to 14 °C (3 months when sold for raclette)
Made in: Canton of Valais (milk production, processing and ageing, with one alp at Kandersteg, Bern, as the only exception)
Cow milk, rawSemi, hardWashed rind
A small, full-fat cheese from raw cows' milk made by an inherited method, 10 to 15 cm across and 0.6 to 1.6 kg, matured for about six weeks. The Raclette du Valais consortium presents it as the revival of the small cheeses mountain families once made in their mayens, mainly for their own use. French Wikipedia's list of Swiss cheeses gives Valais tommes a semi-hard paste and a washed rind. Each dairy makes its own, from runny to firmer, and the Raclette AOP does not cover it.
Taste: Milky and fresh, with a plant and fruit note and a smooth, supple, fine paste. Depending on the dairy it runs from runny to firmer.
Ageing: about 6 weeks
Made in: Canton of Valais
Cow and goat and sheep milkWheyAlso Ziger
A fresh, lean whey cheese, white and crumbly and rich in protein, made from the whey left after cheesemaking. In Valais it is eaten fresh with salt and pepper alongside potatoes, or sweetened with honey, and sometimes smoked. It is sold as rounded or square mounds and does not melt when grilled. It can be made from cow, goat or sheep whey.
Taste: Mild, with little intensity, white to pale yellow and friable. Salt and pepper bring it forward, honey turns it into a sweet dish, and smoked versions exist.
Ageing: none, eaten fresh
Made in: Valais
