Alpine eye wheel

Cooked curd pressed into a large wheel; a second fermentation opens round eyes as it warms in the cellar.

MilkCow

TextureHard

RegionHigh alpine valleys

Aging6–14 months

What to look for

Round, shiny eyes and a slight sweetness. Splits and cracks mean the eyes opened too fast.

The long-aged end of the family. Dry enough to grate, with the crystals that come of protein breaking down over…

A hard sheep wheel made to be grated over food rather than eaten in a wedge. Salt-forward by design.