Boarhof - Langkampfen

Gottfried Radinger and His Knack for Good Cheese

Every summer, farmer Gottfried Radinger from Langkampfen spends with his family on the Vorderen Achentalalm high above Jochberg, where he produces excellent, flavorful alpine cheese by hand and with a lot of love for the product.

Living with Nature

Idyllically nestled and far from any hustle and bustle, Gottfried Radinger's Achentalalm is his home every summer from June to mid-September. In fact, he manages two alpine pastures: the Vorderen Achentalalm and the higher Toralm, where Radinger and his wife spend August.

Life on the mountain is simple and determined by nature: for a long time, there wasn't even a road leading to the remote alpine pasture, only a small hiking trail. The alpine pasture has been in the family since 1966, and Radinger himself took it over in 2003. As the eldest son, it was always clear he would take over the family farm in Langkampfen and the alpine pasture. Summers on the alp are special, Radinger explains. "Here, the weather dictates what needs to be done." And there's plenty of work: a total of 40 Fleckvieh cows and just as many young animals spend the summer on the alpine pasture, providing the milk for the excellent "Radinger's Almkäse."

Experience and Intuition are the Most Important Tools

Radinger makes his cheese in traditional manual labor. "The most important thing in cheesemaking is a keen intuition for the product," says the expert. The work itself is time-consuming and multifaceted. Even the weather plays a role in cheesemaking, Gottfried Radinger knows. Depending on the weather and temperature, there are differences in the freshly milked milk and its processing, he explains. "You never stop learning in this craft." Quite the opposite! How good a product becomes depends on many small details. Besides the weather, time and the right consistency – not too dry, not too wet – play a big role.

From Fresh Milk to Spicy Cheese

Gottfried Radinger uses the rich evening milk for his cheese. The ripening process begins in a copper kettle before cream is skimmed off and morning milk is added the next morning. Here, the cheesemaker's skill is crucial: he must constantly judge how far the ripening process has progressed to make the next step at the right time.

Overall, the cheese master produces around 300 cheese wheels per season. Radinger spends about two hours per wheel on production. This does not include milking, caring for the cows, or cheese maintenance. It can take up to a year for a piece of "Radinger's Almkäse" to land on the plate: "My alpine cheese must mature for at least three months. I even let some wheels mature for nearly a year, over the winter," reveals the farmer about his specialty. A lot of time, effort, and love go into Radinger's cheese wheels – and you can taste it. In addition to alpine cheese, the Langkampfen native also produces a mild Tilsiter, which matures faster. He allows four to five weeks for this fine cheese product.

Shopping Locally at the Farm

The cheese is bought and appreciated by private customers from the region. Many of them hike to the alpine pasture in summer, visit him there, and place their orders directly. This way, they receive a piece of "summer memory" in winter. Although the alpine pasture is not a show dairy, the cheesemaker is happy to share his craft with interested visitors.

In mid-September, Radinger and his wife return to the valley and to their home farm, Boarhof, in Langkampfen. During the summer months, the farm is managed by their son. The farm is also a sales point for "Radinger's Almkäse" during the winter: the farmer runs a direct farm sale and delivers to customers in the area on request.