Mondseer, also known as Mondseer schachtelkäse (English: Mondseer box cheese) when sold in smaller portions in "small wooden boxes",[1][2] is an Austrian semi-hard, washed-rind cheese.[3]
There are varying accounts of Mondseer's origin. It has been stated that the cheese has been existent in the Salzburg area since 1818, with a likelihood that it may have been first produced in the Castle of Hüttenstein.[2] According to this account, the cheese's name of "Mondseer" was first used in 1955, and prior to that was simply referred to as "box cheese".[2]
Another account holds that production of Mondseer began in 1830, and that it was named after the monasteryinMondsee, Austria.[1]
Mondseer is a disk-shaped cheese made from pasteurized whole or part-skim cow's milk.[1][3] It is a semi-hard semi-hard cheese with a smooth and creamy texture and slotted holes, similar to Munster cheese or Limburger.[3] The surface is brushed by hand with salt water and smeared with red cultures during the aging process, which results in a yellow-reddish rind forming on its surface.[2][3] Its maturation takes three to six weeks,[3] and its fat content is 45%.[2][4] It has a mild to slightly pungent aroma and a sweet and sour, somewhat acidic and sharp flavor.[3] Usually, loaves of one kilogram are produced.[3]
