Harzer cheese is traditionally made in Germany’s Harz Mountains from low-fat sour cow’s milk.
It is a small, firm sour-milk cheese with a strong aroma that becomes more pronounced as it ripens. The cheese is usually shaped into short cylinders or small rounds. Its low fat content distinguishes it from many richer German cheeses and helps explain its reputation as a protein-rich food.
Harzer cheese is often eaten with onions, vinegar, oil, caraway or bread. A closely related regional style is Handkäse, especially associated with Hesse; the names are sometimes used loosely in everyday discussion, but they are not automatically interchangeable in every context. Harzer’s identity comes from the Harz region and from the sour-milk cheesemaking method, not simply from its smell or cylindrical shape.