Our cheese magic - produced with passion, suitable for vegetarians
Most of our cheeses are made from pasteurised milk that is heated together with the addition of rennet and our own special starter culture - the magic that gives cheese its Willig flavour! At Henri Willig we use microbial rennet, which is made from living organisms such as yeast or mould, instead of traditional animal rennet, allowing us to make cheeses that are also suitable for vegetarians.
These two things cause the milk to split into two vital parts, the curd and the whey. The curd is separated from the whey, and at this point we add herbs or other natural flavourings - if it is to be one of our flavoured cheeses - before pressing it into moulds and shaping it in the traditional way. The cheeses are then transferred to a salt bath where, for a period of several hours to several days - depending on the size of the cheese - the salt contributes to the flavour and to create a firm texture and long shelf life. The cheeses mature naturally and are regularly handled, turned and visually inspected to ensure the best possible taste. We then leave the cheeses to mature for a few weeks to over a year. The ageing time affects the intensity of the taste - the older the cheese, the stronger the impact in the mouth!