Swiss Cheese

Swiss (cheese), hard cow’s milk cheese with a pale yellow interior laced with large holes and a mild, nutty flavor. Also called Emmentaler cheese, Swiss cheese is made in numerous countries, including the United States, using a process that originated in the Emme River valley in Switzerland around 50 bc. One of the most famous varieties of Swiss cheese is produced in Norway and is called Jarlsberg cheese.

Swiss Cheese

 

Despite its popularity and widespread production, Swiss cheese is one of the most difficult cheeses to make. Produced in large wheel shapes ranging from 9 to 91 kg (20 to 200 lb), the cheese is wrapped in brine-soaked cloths to inhibit bacterial growth and excessive drying. The cheese is cured, or aged, at temperatures ranging from 22 to 27 °C (72 to 81 °F) for three to six months. Three different cultures of bacteria are used to make Swiss cheese, one of which helps form the hallmark eyes, or holes, by producing pockets of harmless carbon dioxide gas during the curing process. Because each of the three bacteria plays a different role in curing Swiss cheese, their ratios must be carefully regulated to ensure a balance of acid, flavor, and eyes in the final product.