6th Mountain Cheese Olympics

Because the Swiss love their cheese, I thought it would be pretty important to see what all the fuss was about. Thus, I decided to organize an excursion to Saignelégier, Bellelay, and Tramelan, three cities in the Jura, for the 6th Mountain Cheese Olympics. There were 630 different types of cheese, and the event was free, offering cheese tasting, games, traditional Swiss music, tours of cheese factories, seminars, and other activities.
First of all, I think it is awesome that Switzerland offers a student transportation card that allows you to travel after 7pm for free. We thus took the 2 hour train to les Reusilles, a small village near Tramelan, to stay at a small bed and breakfast called “Chez Marie.” After taking several wrong turns and reaching the end of the village, we finally found the path to the bed and breakfast – a completely dark pedestrian path that led us through farms, and eventually, her small farm. The woman who owned the bed and breakfast lived in the house and had one room open for guests. She was the most delightful woman I have ever met – warm, welcoming, and full of useful information about Swiss tourism and activities. She was not at the house when we arrived at about 10:30, but because this was small-town Switzerland, she left the door open for our entry. She arrived at about 11:15 and shared with us some stories about previous visitors and her history in the village.

In our room, she left a bowl of delicious plums and apples and a visitor’s book to fill with our comments and drawings. We read previous entries, and everyone raved about her hospitality; some drew gorgeous pictures of the Swiss countryside and cute cartoons and whatnot. You could tell that this was a rather unique place to stay – the room was filled with books and games and travel information, and there was a small reading area outside our door that overlooked the kitchen. The chairs were covered in hand-made pillows and blankets, and there were children’s stuffed animals, posters, and artwork all over. The owner was also a marble painter, so she had books, cards, and other pieces on display and for sale. Her eye for beauty and her warm heart were very well represented in this little cottage, as we instantly felt at home and comfortable. It was a shame that we could only stay for one night, because I would have loved to stay to talk with her for the day and learn about her origins and watch her paint in her studio.
In the morning, she prepared for us a breakfast with homemade apricot and prune jam, marmalade with lemon zest, yogurt with raspberries, bread with walnuts, muesli with oatmeal, honey, cheese, and jasmine tea. We passed a relaxing morning enjoying the delicious meal and watching the sheep graze in her backyard; we sat with her and talked about the cheese festival (she also planned on attending), and she told us about her favorite ski slopes – known only by locals and offering a beautiful view of the mountains – and an event that happens in the spring near Basel. Evidently, they close the river off to boats so that people can swim along the river from several small towns to Basel. After you arrive on the beach, there are outdoor showers where you can rinse off and change into dry clothes, which you put in a plastic sack and tie around your waist. It definitely sounds like an interesting mode of transportation, and I plan to pursue this as an excursion for the spring.
We took the shuttle bus to the covered cheese market after breakfast, and, inside the large tent, there were little wooden booths for each cheese maker. They offered free samples of their cheeses and sometimes had elixirs and juices to taste as well. I really enjoyed the fresh-pressed apple juice, which tasted like all the wonderful elements of an apple pie, apple cider, and applesauce. It was rich and bold in flavor. Delicious. As for my favorite cheeses, I purchased four different kinds, all originating from Switzerland. Two kinds were from a German region (Grand Cru and der Rasse), one from the Jura (bio cheese with wild garlic), and one from a French region (cow’s cheese that was similar to brie but much creamier). There was also a stand that had the best yogurt I have ever tasted; it was made from sheep’s milk, and there were different flavors, such as vanilla, mocha, chocolate, raspberry, and natural. It was thick, creamy, rich, and full of intense flavor. It was probably packed with fat, but I was in heaven.
There were also opportunities to win free cheese in the children’s circus tent. They had games that you could play – a spin-the-wheel game, where I won a cut of fresh mozzarella, and some other activities – a fake cow where you could practice your milking skills, various cages of farm animals, and a demonstration of making mozzarella. The two men showed us how the leftover liquid, called “le petit lait” (or little milk), drained from the cheese. They let us taste this milk, which was warm and flavorful. They also showed us the cutting process and explained how to stir and heat the cheese.
We returned to the covered market after the circus games to enjoy some jazz alphorn and accordion music. There were many talented musical groups that played throughout the day, and it was interesting to compare the contemporary with the traditional. My favorite group was made up of two sisters who played accordion; they were the most talented accordion players I have ever seen. Their fingers moved with such grace, and they played with intricacy and precision. In short, they were admirable musicians, and I hope that someday I am good enough to jam like that!

In Bellelay, the second village, we visited the Abbey, where the Tete de Moine cheese originated. They were preparing for the gala event, so the main room was filled with dining tables and fancy table settings – three wine glasses per person and the whole assortment of silverware. This was definitely not a jeans and t-shirt event. It would have been nice to see the all the attendees dressed up in gowns and tuxes. Bellelay also offered tours of the horse stables and their medieval museum, where there were demonstrations of Tete de Moine cheese-making, explanations of shoe-making and evolution during the Middle Ages, and ancient wood-carving. The monks were selling homemade pea soup that was full of vegetables and immediately warmed a cold stomach. (They didn’t just have delicious cheese!)

Finally, a round of applause for Switzerland for putting on quite a show! Thanks for filling our bellies and putting smiles on our faces.