Emmental Cheese

Emmental 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.

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"), the Netherlands, 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. Nowadays, however, eye formation is valued as a sign of maturation and quality and acoustic analysis has been developed for this purpose. Emmental cheese is usually consumed cold, as chunks or slices, 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.

SOURCE: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Emmental_cheese