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A cult cheese from Switzerland

Holla cheese! There is a wild-eyed look of mischief to the tousle-haired youth whose face is stamped on the rind of Chällerhocker. But that boy is the imaginary "cellar sitter" for which this cult cheese from Switzerland is named, and I could im

There is a wild-eyed look of mischief to the tousle-haired youth whose face is stamped on the rind of Chällerhocker.

But that boy is the imaginary "cellar sitter" for which this cult cheese from Switzerland is named, and I could imagine looking a little loony, too, if I were locked up for 10 months of aging on a wooden shelf.

The upside is that this Swiss cheese has fast become one of my favorites in the world. Cheesemaker Walter Rass at Kaserei Tufertschwil in the canton of St. Gallen created it in 2003 as a variation on classic Appenzeller (for which he is also renowned).

He uses the same molds to produce a 14-pound wheel, but the innovative use of a yogurt culture for a starter helps give the cheese, made from milk collected from brown cows within a mile of his facility, an extraordinarily creamy texture for what is nonetheless a firm cheese.

Pocked with the occasional little holes, there's a brown-butter richness and oniony, floral savor to every bite.

But there's also an added dimension of beefiness that comes from the traditional rennet technique of steeping strips of dried calves' stomach in the culture.

Add a regular brine during the aging that gives its rind a slightly tacky orange funk, and this cheese has the muscle – especially when melted - to amp up toast or roasted potatoes.

Normally, I reserve alpine cheeses for warm weather. But this one I've been crazy for all spring.

- Craig LaBan
Chällerhocker, $29.99 a pound, all Di Bruno Bros. (except Comcast Center).