Emmental cheese
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| Emmental | |
|---|---|
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| Other names | Emmenthal, Emmentaler, Emmenthaler[1] |
| Country of origin | Switzerland |
| Source of milk | Cow |
| Pasteurized | Not traditionally |
| Texture | Medium-hard |
| Aging time | 2–18 months depending on variety |
| Certification | Some varieties |
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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
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
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]
Natural holes in cheese
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
Several varieties of Emmental are registered as geographical indications, including:
Switzerland
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
Emmentaler is also recognised as a geographical indication in the Czech Republic, France, Georgia, Germany, Hungary, Jamaica, Portugal, Russia, Slovakia and Spain.[15]
Three cheeses containing the word Emmental are protected under EU law:
- Allgäuer Emmentaler, from Bavaria, Germany, has PDO status[16]
- Emmental de Savoie, from Savoie, France, has PGI status[17]
- Emmental français est-central from Franche-Comté, France, also has PGI status[18]
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
Emmental cheese is very widely imitated around the world, often just called "Swiss cheese". Specific European types include:
- Grevé from Sweden
- Jarlsberg cheese from Norway
- Maasdam cheese from the Netherlands, with Leerdammer being one variety
See also
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Notes
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- ^ Pronounced /ˈɛmənˌtɑːl/ Script error: No such module "Respell".;[1] Template:Langx, Script error: No such module "IPA".
References
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- ^ a b Page Module:Citation/CS1/styles.css has no content."EMMENTAL Definition & Meaning". Merriam-Webster.com. Archived from the original on 21 December 2016. Retrieved 27 July 2025.
- ^ Page Module:Citation/CS1/styles.css has no content.Michael Tunick (2014). The Science of Cheese. OUP USA. p. 140. ISBN 978-0-19-992230-7.
- ^ Page Module:Citation/CS1/styles.css has no content."Emmentaler". Cheese of France. Retrieved 25 October 2020.
- ^ Page Module:Citation/CS1/styles.css has no content."Emmentaler". Retrieved 25 October 2020.
- ^ Scientific American "Cheese Story", August 2010, p. 33
- ^ Page Module:Citation/CS1/styles.css has no content.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.
- ^ "Emmentaler AOP", Switzerland Cheese Marketing. Retrieved 26 October 2020.
- ^ Page Module:Citation/CS1/styles.css has no content."Ziger / Sérac". Culinary Heritage of Switzerland. Retrieved 29 March 2023.
- ^ Page Module:Citation/CS1/styles.css has no content.Bondolfi, Sibilla (11 June 2024). "The mysterious (court) case of the disappearing cheese holes". Swissinfo.
- ^ Page Module:Citation/CS1/styles.css has no content."Swiss scientists plug hole in cheese knowledge". The Guardian. Agence France-Presse. 28 May 2015.
- ^ Page Module:Citation/CS1/styles.css has no content."Emmentaler: AOC-Gütesiegel". Archived from the original on December 11, 2010. Retrieved December 11, 2009.
- ^ Page Module:Citation/CS1/styles.css has no content.Government of Switzerland. "Appellations d'origine et indications géographiques". Retrieved 1 October 2021.
- ^ Page Module:Citation/CS1/styles.css has no content."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.
- ^ Page Module:Citation/CS1/styles.css has no content."Pflichtenheft Emmentaler" (PDF). Government of Switzerland. Retrieved 9 January 2023.
- ^ Page Module:Citation/CS1/styles.css has no content."Emmentaler". Origin GI. 3 September 2021. Retrieved 1 October 2021.
- ^ Page Module:Citation/CS1/styles.css has no content."Allgäuer Emmentaler". Ec.europa.eu. 24 January 1997. Archived from the original on 4 June 2016. Retrieved 14 May 2016.
- ^ Page Module:Citation/CS1/styles.css has no content."Emmental de Savoie". Ec.europa.eu. 21 June 1996. Archived from the original on 4 June 2016. Retrieved 14 May 2016.
- ^ Page Module:Citation/CS1/styles.css has no content."Emmental français est-central". Ec.europa.eu. 21 June 1996. Archived from the original on 4 June 2016. Retrieved 14 May 2016.
Amended 19 October 2013
- ^ Swiss Cheese, Emmentaler Cheese Grades and Standards, U.S. Department of Agriculture, accessed March 25, 2020
- ^ How to Buy Cheese Script error: No such module "webarchive"., U.S. Department of Agriculture (1971), p. 15
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