If you enjoy old-world cheeses imported from Europe, but still want to support local farmers and businesses, here’s how to do it

Curd Shot 2
Large-scale cheese producers often press curd for only one hour, then cut it into 40-pound blocks. At Bunker Hill Cheese, curds are formed into individual 40-pound blocks and pressed overnight, intensifying flavors.

By Mitch Allen

When it comes to cheese, many people prefer the rich flavors of old-world artisan cheeses imported from Europe. But what if you prefer imported cheeses and want to support local farmers and local businesses?

The answer is Bunker Hill Cheese—made by the same family using the same techniques their ancestors used for generations in Switzerland.

Cheese has been made in the Berlin, Ohio area for nearly 150 years, and in 1935 the Dauwalder family from Switzerland purchased Bunker Hill Cheese. Today, third-generation sisters Lisa Troyer and LeeAnne Dauwalder-Heath operate the business, still using the same old-world techniques that make artisan cheeses so much better than modern, mass-produced cheeses.

Although relatively small, Bunker Hill has a wide reach. You’ll find the products online and in stores throughout North America, including at Heinen’s, Meijer, Buehler’s, Giant Eagle and Kroger.

“For us, it has always been about maintaining the integrity of our legacy,” says co-owner Lisa Troyer. “There are shortcuts we could take to improve our efficiency, but we won’t do that. That’s not who we are.”

Staying True to the Legacy
Most modern, large-scale cheesemaking plants make their commodities in enclosed vats using preprogrammed computer software. Not at Bunker Hill.

“We use an open-vat system,” Lisa explains. “Adding cultures and cutting curd is not computerized. The cheesemaker can see and feel the curds, knowing exactly what to do and when to do it. It’s an artisan technique.”

Unlike mass-produced cheeses made in sealed tanks, the cheeses at Bunker Hill are made with a traditional open-vat system. The cheesemaker can see and feel the curds, making adjustments at exactly the right time.

In addition, mass-produced cheese is typically pressed in oversized tanks for only an hour before being cut into 40-pound blocks. Lisa and her team press individual 40-pound blocks overnight. “This reduces whey, intensifies flavors, and extends shelf-life,” she says.

Raw Milk Cheese
One of Bunker Hill’s most popular lines is its artisan raw milk cheeses, including cheddar and gouda (smoked and unsmoked) and a yogurt-cultured lactose-free cheese. What gives these cheeses their incredible complex flavor? They are made from unpasteurized milk, the traditional way of making cheese.

Cheese is largely milk solids and bacteria, and it’s the bacteria that gives it flavor, texture and aroma, and helps it age properly. “Pasteurization kills these ‘good’ bacteria along with the bad, eliminating the natural characteristics that create that complexity,” Lisa says. “In the U.S., unpasteurized cheese must be aged at least 60 days, which is exactly what we do.”

One of Bunker Hill’s most popular lines is its artisan raw milk cheeses, including cheddar and gouda (smoked and unsmoked) and a yogurt-cultured lactose-free cheese. What gives these cheeses their incredible complex flavor? They are made from unpasteurized milk, the traditional way of making cheese.

Bunker Hill’s cheesemakers may also employ “thermization,” a subpasteurization process that helps improve the shelf life of milk without destroying the complex flavors like full pasteurization does.

More Cheese Variety
Lisa and her sister also offer their A2 All-Natural Raw Milk Cheddar, which is made from A2/A2 milk. This is milk from heirloom cows free of the A1 beta-casein protein, making it healthier, more nutritious, and easier to digest for those with lactose intolerance. The milk used by Bunker Hill for all its cheeses comes only from local Amish family farms.

The sisters also produce a line of specialty flavored cheeses. “When my father Peter took over the operation from his father in 1962, he was a known as a pioneer,” Lisa says. “He was the first person in the Midwest to add inclusions to cheese. The old-timers thought he was crazy. Who wants to eat cheese with spices in it? But it turned out to be a big hit.”

These include various hot pepper cheeses and a new Everything Bagel Cheddar made with, well, Everything Bagel seasoning. It’s sold under their Heini’s Cheese Chalet brand.

Speaking of which, in addition to shopping online or at your favorite grocer, you can visit Heini’s Cheese Chalet in Holmes County and explore the entire line in person and talk cheese with the staff.

The Bunker Hill Cheese and Heini’s Cheese Chalet address is 6005 County Road 77, in Millersburg (though the actual location is about a mile north of Berlin). Shop online at BunkerHillCheese.com or visit your favorite grocer.

Categories: Food & Dining