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Alsace
‘Sweet cheese’ in the Alsatian dialect: the day’s fresh fromage blanc, simply drizzled with kirsch, cream and sugar — the dessert that gastronome Hervé This says he would travel the world to taste again.
Fresh cheese from Alsace.
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The name Siesskas comes from the Alsatian dialect: ‘siess’ means sweet and ‘kas’ means cheese — literally ‘sweet cheese’. Fresh fromage blanc, made on the farm from the day’s milk, has long been a staple ingredient here, and this dessert was traditionally prepared at home, each family having its own recipe handed down from generation to generation. It was particularly widespread in rural areas where dairy produce was plentiful, and was enjoyed just as much for dessert as for breakfast or an afternoon snack, served with fresh bread or brioche.
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In Haut-Rhin, Siesskas — also known as Siesskass or Siesserkass — is an essential speciality of cheese-making farms and traditional fermes-auberges, listed in the official glossary of their professional association. In the pays Welche, the historically French-speaking part of Alsace, the same preparation goes by the name of Tchic. These farms perpetuate the tradition of summer grazing in the Vosges uplands, where the day’s fresh fromage blanc remains at the heart of the menus served to walkers.
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On the edge of the Vosges forest, in the heights of the Vallée de Munster, the Auberge du Buchwald is run by Michel Werhey, who rears his own dairy cows, goats, hens, rabbits and pigs to create his menus marcaires. It was here that gastronome Hervé This, guided by his friend the jam-maker Christine Ferber, discovered his favourite Alsatian dessert: an ultra-fresh fromage blanc made that very day, drizzled with kirsch, crème fraîche and sugar, which he describes as a ‘3-star dessert for which he would travel the world’.
Appearance
Fresh fromage blanc, a smooth, matt white, served in a bowl or verrine, sometimes garnished with fresh or candied fruit.
Aroma
Fresh and milky, lifted by kirsch in the fermes-auberges version or by cinnamon in the family version.
Taste
Mild and slightly tangy, sweetened to personal taste, with a note of alcohol from the kirsch or the warmth of cinnamon.
Texture
Smooth and creamy, firmer if the fromage blanc is drained, richer with the addition of crème fraîche.
Two versions exist side by side: that of Alsatian homes, sweetened and flavoured with cinnamon, sometimes garnished with fresh or candied fruit, or even enhanced with honey or vanilla depending on the family; and that of the Hautes-Vosges fermes-auberges, drizzled with kirsch, crème fraîche and sugar just before serving. In the pays Welche, it is known by the name of Tchic.
the day's fresh fromage blanc is drained if necessary, to achieve a firmer consistency.
it is mixed with sugar, the quantity adjusted to taste.
a pinch of cinnamon is stirred into the family version; a dash of kirsch is poured in for the fermes-auberges version.
crème fraîche is incorporated for a smoother texture.
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Siesskas is enjoyed chilled, prepared in advance and kept in the refrigerator until ready to serve. In the fermes-auberges of the Hautes-Vosges, it traditionally concludes the repas marcaire, drizzled at the very last moment with kirsch, crème fraîche and sugar. It is eaten just as readily for dessert as for breakfast or an afternoon snack, accompanied by fresh bread or brioche.
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