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Emmental cheese

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Emmental
Other namesEmmenthal, Emmentaler, Emmenthaler[1]
Country of originSwitzerland
Source of milkCow
PasteurizedNot traditionally
TextureMedium-hard
Aging time2–18 months depending on variety
CertificationSome varieties
Named afterEmmental
Related media on Commons
Wikibooks Cookbook has a recipe/module on

Emmental[a] is a yellow, medium-hard cheese with natural holes that originated in the Emme Valley in Switzerland. It is classified as a Swiss-type cheese.

History

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Emmental cheese originates from the Emme Valley in Switzerland.[2]

It has a savoury but mild taste. While "Emmentaler" is registered as a geographical indication in Switzerland, a limited number of countries recognise the term as a geographical indication: similar cheeses of other origins, especially from France (as "Emmental"),[3] the Netherlands,[4] Bavaria, and Finland, are widely available and sold by that name. In some parts of the world, the names "Emmentaler" and "Swiss cheese" are used interchangeably for Emmental-style cheese.

Production

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Three types of bacteria are needed to prepare Emmental: Streptococcus thermophilus, Lactobacillus helveticus, and Propionibacterium freudenreichii. Historically, the eyes were a sign of imperfection, and until modern times, cheese makers would try to avoid them.[5] Nowadays, however, eye formation is valued as a sign of maturation and quality and acoustic analysis has been developed for this purpose.[6] Emmental cheese is usually consumed cold, as chunks or slices,[7] and is also used in a variety of dishes, such as in gratins.

Ziger, a whey cheese, is a by-product of the manufacture of Emmental.[8]

Dairy cows in the Emmental region
Old production facility
Emmental being produced in a modern facility

Natural holes in cheese

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The presence of holes in cheeses such as Gruyère and Emmental was long thought to be due to bacterial activity in the mass of the cheese. In the 21st century it was discovered that it was due to microscopic hay dust that got into the milk during milking.[9] Bacteria formed around the dust particles and produced gases which caused the characteristic holes. In addition to their traditionally favoured appearance, the holes, if not too small, have the beneficial effect of preventing gaps and cracks in the block of cheese from forming. There was some suggestion in the past of a variable effect; Emmental cheese made from summer milk had smaller holes than winter cheese—the cows ate hay in winter, but grass with less dust in summer. Modern production techniques and milking machines are less susceptible to hay dust, and indeed 21st-century Swiss cheeses have fewer and smaller holes.[10]

Holes can be restored to their former size and prevalence by adding hay flower powder to the milk; this is done in Germany and France, but such additives are forbidden in Swiss cheeses.

Protected varieties and nomenclature

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Several varieties of Emmental are registered as geographical indications, including:

Switzerland

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Eighteen-month-old raw milk Emmentaler AOC

Emmentaler was registered in 2000 as an appellation d'origine contrôlée (AOC) in Switzerland.[11][12][13] In 2013, it was replaced by the appellation d'origine protégée (AOP) certification. The Emmentaler produced according to the AOC-registration needs to be produced in small rural dairies with raw cow's milk, adding only natural ingredients (water, salt, natural starter cultures and rennet); preservatives or ingredients from genetically modified organisms are not allowed. The cheese is produced in a round shape with a natural rind, and aged in traditional cellars for a minimum of four months. Emmentaler must be produced in cantons of Aargau, Bern (except Amtsbezirk Moutier), Glarus, Luzern, Schwyz, Solothurn, St Gallen, Thurgau, Zug or Zurich, or in the See- and Sensebezirk of canton of Freiburg.[14]

Outside Switzerland

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Emmentaler is also recognised as a geographical indication in the Czech Republic, France, Georgia, Germany, Hungary, Jamaica, Portugal, Russia, Slovakia and Spain.[15]

Emmental de Savoie from France

Three cheeses containing the word Emmental are protected under EU law:

In many parts of the English-speaking world the terms "Emmentaler" and "Swiss cheese" are both used to refer to any cheese of the Emmental type, whether produced in Switzerland or elsewhere. The United States Department of Agriculture, for example, uses the terms "Swiss cheese" and "Emmentaler cheese" interchangeably.[19][20]

Emmental-style cheeses

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Emmental cheese is very widely imitated around the world, often just called "Swiss cheese". Specific European types include:

See also

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Notes

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  1. ^ Pronounced /ˈɛmənˌtɑːl/ EM-ən-TAHL;[1] German: Emmentaler, local pronunciation: [ˈɛmn̩ˌtaːlər]

References

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  1. ^ a b "EMMENTAL Definition & Meaning". Merriam-Webster.com. Archived from the original on 21 December 2016. Retrieved 27 July 2025.
  2. ^ Michael Tunick (2014). The Science of Cheese. OUP USA. p. 140. ISBN 978-0-19-992230-7.
  3. ^ "Emmentaler". Cheese of France. Retrieved 25 October 2020.
  4. ^ "Emmentaler". Retrieved 25 October 2020.
  5. ^ Scientific American "Cheese Story", August 2010, p. 33
  6. ^ González, Mariana; Budelli, Eliana; Pérez, Nicolás; Lema, Patricia (27 November 2019). "Acoustic techniques to detect eye formation during ripening of Emmental type cheese". Innovative Food Science & Emerging Technologies. 59 102270. doi:10.1016/j.ifset.2019.102270. S2CID 213732802.
  7. ^ "Emmentaler AOP", Switzerland Cheese Marketing. Retrieved 26 October 2020.
  8. ^ "Ziger / Sérac". Culinary Heritage of Switzerland. Retrieved 29 March 2023.
  9. ^ Bondolfi, Sibilla (11 June 2024). "The mysterious (court) case of the disappearing cheese holes". Swissinfo.
  10. ^ "Swiss scientists plug hole in cheese knowledge". The Guardian. Agence France-Presse. 28 May 2015.
  11. ^ "Emmentaler: AOC-Gütesiegel". Archived from the original on December 11, 2010. Retrieved December 11, 2009.
  12. ^ Government of Switzerland. "Appellations d'origine et indications géographiques". Retrieved 1 October 2021.
  13. ^ "AOC-Label für den Käse mit den grössen Löchern". Swiss Info. 13 September 2004. Archived from the original on 27 September 2012. Retrieved 11 December 2009.
  14. ^ "Pflichtenheft Emmentaler" (PDF). Government of Switzerland. Retrieved 9 January 2023.
  15. ^ "Emmentaler". Origin GI. 3 September 2021. Retrieved 1 October 2021.
  16. ^ "DOOR". Ec.europa.eu. 1997-01-24. Retrieved 2016-05-14.
  17. ^ "DOOR". Ec.europa.eu. 1996-06-21. Retrieved 2016-05-14.
  18. ^ "DOOR". Ec.europa.eu. Retrieved 2016-05-14.
  19. ^ Swiss Cheese, Emmentaler Cheese Grades and Standards, U.S. Department of Agriculture, accessed March 25, 2020
  20. ^ How to Buy Cheese Archived 2021-03-10 at the Wayback Machine, U.S. Department of Agriculture (1971), p. 15
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