Patrick Oconnell
Swiss cheese is more than just the variety with holes that we see in supermarkets. In fact, the vast majority of Swiss cheeses are made from cow's milk and are distinct from goat's and sheep's milk cheeses, which are rarely found in the country. Switzerland's landscape and climate are ideal for cows, and the country's small herds produce milk with a unique flavour. Swiss cheese can be soft and creamy, like the brie-like variety made in the Jura region, or semi-soft and wrapped in fir bark, like Challerhocker from the canton of St Gallen. For those who like their cheese with a nutty flavour, earthy Gruyère is a good choice, while Raclette, a semi-hard variety, is traditionally shaved with a hot knife and spread on toasted bread.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Texture | Semi-hard |
| Flavour | Piquant, nutty, earthy |
| Melting properties | Melts smoothly |
| Best served | Sliced, cubed, shaved, spread, grilled |
| Best used in | Sandwiches, appetizers, fondue, grilled cheese sandwiches, croque monsieur, French onion soup, mac and cheese |
| Region | Jura region of North-East France, St. Gallen |
| Milk type | Cow's milk |
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What You'll Learn
Try Swiss cheese in a fondue
Swiss cheese fondue is a decadent dish that gained popularity in the US in the 1960s and was even named the national dish of Switzerland in the 1930s. It is a great way to enjoy Swiss cheese and is perfect for sharing with guests.
To make a classic Swiss cheese fondue, you will need Swiss cheese, of course, as well as Gruyère, and white wine. Some recipes also call for flour, nutmeg, lemon juice, and garlic. Begin by bringing the wine to a simmer in your fondue pot. If you don't have a fondue pot, you can use a medium enameled cast-iron casserole. Next, add in the flour and nutmeg, stirring until well combined. Then, slowly add the Swiss and Gruyère cheeses, a little at a time, stirring continuously until the cheese is melted and smooth. You can also add a splash of lemon juice to the wine before adding the flour to prevent the mixture from separating.
There are a variety of Swiss cheeses to choose from for your fondue, each with its own unique characteristics. Emmentaler, or Emmental, is the cheese that is most commonly recognised as Swiss cheese. It is a semi-hard cheese with holes and has a piquant flavour. Gruyère is similar but usually has no holes and can range in texture from creamy to firm. It has a nutty flavour that becomes more pronounced with age. Other Swiss cheeses that can be used in fondue include Vacherin Fribourgeois, Appenzeller, and Raclette.
Once you have made your fondue, it's time to decide what to dip into it. Fondue is commonly served with cubed bread, such as French bread or Tuscan bread, for dipping. You can also use steamed or boiled potatoes, grilled or toasted bread cubes, or sliced apples, pears, or other fruits and vegetables. Meat, cornichons, pickled onions, and salami are also popular choices. Just be sure to stir the fondue as you dip!
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Experiment with different types of Swiss cheese
Switzerland produces over 475 varieties of cheese, so there's plenty to choose from if you want to experiment with different types of Swiss cheese. The best-known Swiss cheeses are hard or semi-hard "Swiss-type" or "Alpine" cheeses, which include Emmental, Gruyère, and Appenzeller.
Emmental, or "Swiss cheese", is a semi-hard cheese with holes, known for its piquant flavor. It's great sliced in sandwiches or cubed for appetizers. Gruyère is similar to Emmental but does not have holes. It has a nutty flavor that becomes more pronounced when aged. It's a versatile cheese that can be used in grilled cheese sandwiches, croque monsieur, French onion soup, or fondues. It can also be blended with other cheeses in macaroni and cheese.
Raclette is a semi-hard cheese that is characteristic of Switzerland. It is typically shaved with a hot knife and spread on toasted bread as a snack. It also melts well and can be used for fondue. Sbrinz is one of the oldest European cheeses and has an extra-hard texture similar to Parmesan.
Other Swiss cheeses to try include Fribourgeois, a firmer cheese that tastes similar to Italian fontina and is great for fondues, and a soft, creamy, brie-like cheese made in the Jura region and sold in round wooden boxes.
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Learn about the history of Swiss cheese
Swiss cheese, or Emmental cheese, was first manufactured in the Emmental region of West Central Switzerland as early as the 14th century. The region is ideal for pastures, with its large rolling fields, and dairy cattle grazing. The milk obtained from the cows was used to make cheese.
The unique flavour and appearance of Emmental cheese were popularized by a writer through a series of novels on the Emmental dairy and cheese industry. However, it was only in the 1800s that the first cheese dairies were established in the region, and the cheese began to be produced in large quantities and marketed outside of the area.
The holes in Swiss cheese are created by adding gram-positive bacteria to the starter culture. The carbon dioxide bubbles created by the bacteria form the holes. The bacteria also contribute to the cheese's sweet and nutty flavour. The larger the holes in Swiss cheese, the more pronounced its flavour, as a longer fermentation period gives the bacteria more time to act.
Today, Swiss cheese is produced in many countries, including the United States, Finland, Estonia, and Ireland, and is a staple in many recipes, such as Cuban sandwiches, fondue, and chicken Cordon Bleu.
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Understand how Swiss cheese is made
Swiss cheese, known for its distinctive holes, smell, texture, and flavour, is made through a combination of bacteria and cow's milk. The first step in the process is to produce curds, which are formed by combining good bacteria with milk and heating it. These curds are then soaked in brine, a solution of salt and water. During this stage, the cheese absorbs the salt while releasing water, and the bacteria expand, releasing carbon dioxide, which creates the holes that Swiss cheese is famous for.
The curds are then stirred and heated—the higher the desired water content, the more the curds are heated. For instance, soft cheese is heated to approximately 35°C, while hard and extra-hard cheese is heated to a range of 51-58°C. As the curds are stirred and warmed, they contract and separate from the whey, resulting in a solid cheese mass. Whey, the green liquid that escapes from the curd, is pumped away and used to create other products, such as whey drinks, butter, and quark. It is also utilised in processed foods, cosmetics, and animal feed.
The solidified cheese is then poured into moulds with holes in their bases, allowing the whey to escape. The entire cheese is compressed to eliminate excess liquid, and it is placed in a mould with a "cheese passport" for identification. The mould is then covered and compressed again to achieve the desired shape and remove any remaining whey. Following this, the cheese undergoes a brine bath, where it absorbs salt and releases whey once more.
The cheese is heated and cooled multiple times throughout the production process. The cheesemaker adds lactic acid bacteria cultures and rennet to increase the milk's acidity and enhance the effect of the rennet, which also aids in the cheese's maturation. The milk is gently heated to produce thermised (63°C) or pasteurised milk (72°C or higher). A cheese harp, a tool with wires or blades, is used to cut the curd into small pieces, determining the cheese's final hardness—the smaller the pieces, the harder the cheese.
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Find out about the different animals that produce milk for Swiss cheese
Switzerland has a strong tradition of dairy farming and cheese-making. The breeding of cattle, sheep, and goats for milk dates back to the Neolithic period, and cheese has been exported from the Alpine regions since antiquity. Today, cheese dairies and mountain pastures in Switzerland produce nearly 500 varieties of cheese, not counting fresh cheeses. Cow's milk is used in about 99% of the cheeses Switzerland produces, with the remaining share consisting of sheep and goat milk.
Goat milk is often used for fresh cheeses, especially in southern Switzerland. One source notes that goat milk is known for being milder and having a higher butterfat content than other dairy goat breeds. Goat milk is also used to make cheddars, bries, camemberts, blues, and colbys.
Sheep, also known as ewes, produce only a tenth of the milk that cows do annually, but their milk contains twice the fat and 70% more protein. As a result, cheesemakers only need half as much sheep's milk to produce the same amount of cheese.
While less common, water buffalo milk is also used in cheese-making. For example, mozzarella is typically made with cow's milk, but when made with water buffalo milk, it is called buffalo mozzarella.
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Frequently asked questions
Swiss cheese is any cheese made in Switzerland. The majority of Swiss cheeses are made from cow's milk. The most famous Swiss cheese is Emmental, a semi-hard cheese with holes.
Emmental, or Swiss cheese, has a piquant flavour that isn't quite sharp. Other Swiss cheeses have a nutty flavour, such as Gruyère, or a fragrant, Parmesan-like taste, such as Sbrinz.
Swiss cheese is great sliced in sandwiches or cubed for appetizers. It's also perfect for melting, so it's a good choice for grilled cheese sandwiches, fondues, or the dish croque monsieur.
Aside from Emmental, Gruyère, and Sbrinz, you can try Appenzeller (a semi-hard cheese used in fondue), Challerhocker (a semi-soft, cow's milk cheese from the canton of St Gallen), or Raclette (a semi-hard cheese usually shaved with a hot knife and spread on toasted bread).
