Now here we got an oldie. Glarner Schabziger (Sap Sago) is produced since 1463, a time when Florida explorer Juan Ponce de Leòn still wore his diapers. The Ziger, nowadays produced by the Geska AG in Glarus, is the oldest branded article of Switzerland!

The recipe has stayed the same over all this time: Fresh skimmed cow’s milk from the Glarus mountains is heated to 194 degrees Fahrenheit. Patiently and slowly lactic acid is stirred in, the milk is divided into Ziger, that contains all of the protein, and whey. The whey is drained and the Ziger is cooled down and then put into a container where it stays for 4 to 12 weeks. After the raw Ziger is grinded, salt is added and further aged for up to 8 months.

Then, and only then, the famous blue fenugreek (trigonella melilotus-caerulea) is added which gives the Sap Sago the green color and the characteristic and unique flavor. Elbow pasta with Ziger was the favorite dish of Daniel’s dad.

The “Zigerklee” or “Blauer Bockshornklee” originally grew in the eastern mediterranean countires and Anatolia. It was brought to central Europe by the crusaders between the 11. and 13. century. Nowadays it’s only grown in the alpine regions.