Traditional Black Forest Bibiliskäs – Making cheese at home does not need to be hard. With just a few ingredients, you can make your own traditional Black Forest Bibiliskäs too!

Bibiliskäs means “chicks” cheese. People used to feed this cheese to chicks. However, after fine-tuning, it became a great lunch for humans. This recipe is really simple, but it can take up to a few days to make because we need to wait for the cheese to curdle.

Bibiliskäs is one of the classic dish in our region. This is how my parents-in-law make it traditionally. They even gave me an original Käsnapf, so that I can remake this recipe! Nowadays, people simply use quark, even though curdled milk tastes quite different. Whichever method you choose, I hope you enjoy this Rezept!

Tips on making Bibiliskäs

Milk: High quality milk with high fat content (at least 3.5%) should be used in this recipe (not skimmed milk). After several days, you will realised that the cheese will sink to the bottom of the bowl and a layer of dry skin will float on the milky water. Simply poke a toothpick into the cheese, if the toothpick remains standing, it means that we can start making our Bibiliskäs! 1litre milk will give you about 125g of cheese.

Heavy cream/ Yoghurt: The curdled milk has a lumpy texture. By adding cream and yoghurt to the cheese, they will smooth out its texture and give the Bibiliskäs a milder taste. 

Tip: We always make our “chicks” cheese fresh. If you are going for a traditional Bibiliskäs, then plan at least 4 to 5 days ahead (on cold days) and 3 to 4 days in summer. If you want something fast (and modern), then use quark or cream cheese.

Mistakes I made:  For my first attempt, I used curdled milk and left it too long on the tabletop. In addition, I did not remove the top layer of the cheese. As a result, the cheese smelt intense and unpleasant. It was not enjoyable to eat. 

How to make Bibiliskäs

1. Pour cold milk in a suitable bowl. Cover the bowl with a lid and allow it to sit at room temperature for 4 to 5 days. 
2. After which, the cheese will sink to the bottom of the bowl. Poke a toothpick into the cheese. If the toothpick stands, it means that the cheese is ready. 
3. Remove the top part of the soft cheese (the layer of cheese which is flowing).
4. In the sink or a bowl, place a cheese cloth over a colander or a Käsnapf. Pour the bowl of cheese into the cheese cloth and press out as much fluid as possible. You will get about 60g of cheese. 
5. Allow the cheese to dry for a few minutes and transfer it to a small bowl.
6. Add heavy cream, yoghurt, chives and seasoning to the cheese. Use an egg whisk to mix the ingredients.

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How to serve Bibiliskäs

Bibiliskäs is usually served with potatoes. We eat it with hot baked potatoes. However, I’ve heard of people eating it with cold potatoes. Other than that, you can spread the cheese on bread too. 

How to store Bibiliskäs

My parents-in-laws always eat their Käse fresh. I would recommend storing it in an airtight container in the refrigerator, for at most 1 to 2 days. Please do not freeze it. 

Have you heard of this traditional dish before, and how do you like it? Share it with me in the comment section below!

Until next time & guten Appetit!

Greetings from the Black Forest,
Pia

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