Andy Montoya
Swiss cheese is a hard, yellow cheese with a nutty flavor and a distinctive appearance due to the holes that form during ripening. These holes are called eyes, and cheese without them is known as blind. The term Swiss cheese is used to describe any variety of cheese that resembles Emmental cheese, which originated in Switzerland. The expression Swiss cheese is also used colloquially to describe something that has been riddled with holes, such as in the case of a drive-by shooting, or to describe something that is full of flaws or weaknesses, as in the example His argument was full of holes like Swiss cheese.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Definition | A hard cheese with an elastic texture, a mild nutlike flavor, and large holes that form during ripening |
| Production | Swiss cheese is produced in the United States, Finland, Estonia, Ireland, and Switzerland |
| Milk Type | Can be made with pasteurized or part-skim milk, but originally made with raw milk in Switzerland |
| Bacteria Used | Streptococcus thermophilus, Lactobacillus (L. helveticus or L. delbrueckii subsp. bulgaricus), and Propionibacterium |
| Slang Meaning | To fill something with holes, often used in the context of drive-by shootings |
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What You'll Learn
- Swiss cheese is made in many countries, including the US, Finland, Estonia, and Ireland
- The term Swiss cheese is used for any variety of cheese resembling Emmental cheese
- Swiss cheese is characterised by a mild nutlike flavour and an elastic texture
- Swiss cheese is sometimes used to refer to a drive-by shooting, due to the resulting bullet holes
- Swiss cheese is made with pasteurised or part-skim milk, unlike the original from Switzerland, which used raw milk
Swiss cheese is made in many countries, including the US, Finland, Estonia, and Ireland
Swiss cheese, or Emmental cheese, is a yellow, medium-hard cheese that originated in Switzerland. It is classified as a Swiss-type or Alpine cheese. The term "Swiss cheese" is used to refer to any variety of cheese that resembles Emmental, which has a distinctive appearance due to the holes known as "eyes". The cheese without these holes is called "blind".
Swiss cheese is now produced in many countries, including the US, Finland, Estonia, and Ireland. In these countries, Swiss cheese is sometimes made with pasteurized or part-skim milk, unlike the traditional Swiss cheese made with raw milk. The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) uses the terms "Swiss cheese" and "Emmentaler cheese" interchangeably. In Australia, both terms are also used interchangeably, along with the term "Swiss-style cheese". In India, the term "Swiss cheese" is sometimes used, although it may also be referred to as "Emmental".
The US has its own varieties of Swiss cheese, such as Baby Swiss and Lacy Swiss, which have smaller holes and a milder flavor. Baby Swiss, developed in the mid-1960s by the Guggisberg Cheese Company in Ohio, is made from whole milk, while Lacy Swiss is made from low-fat milk.
Finland, Estonia, and Ireland also produce Swiss cheese, contributing to its global availability and popularity. These countries have adopted the production of this traditional Swiss cheese, adapting it to their local dairy industries and markets.
The production of Swiss cheese involves the use of three types of bacteria: Streptococcus thermophilus, Lactobacillus (L. helveticus or L. delbrueckii subsp. bulgaricus), and Propionibacterium (Propionibacterium freudenreichii subsp. shermani). During the late stages of cheese production, the propionibacteria consume the lactic acid produced by the other bacteria, releasing acetate, propionic acid, and carbon dioxide gas. The carbon dioxide forms the bubbles that create the characteristic eyes in the cheese.
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The term Swiss cheese is used for any variety of cheese resembling Emmental cheese
The term "Swiss cheese" is used as a generic term for any variety of cheese resembling Emmental cheese, a yellow, medium-hard cheese that originated in the Emmental region of Switzerland. It is classified as a Swiss-type or Alpine cheese, and its blocks or rounds are often riddled with holes, known as ""eyes". Cheese without these holes is called "blind".
Swiss cheese is characterised by its elastic texture, mild nut-like flavour, and the large holes that form during the ripening process. It is now produced in many countries, including the United States, Finland, Estonia, and Ireland, and is sometimes made with pasteurised or part-skim milk, unlike the traditional Swiss method of using raw milk.
The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) uses the terms Swiss cheese and Emmentaler cheese interchangeably. In Australia, both terms are also used, along with "Swiss-style cheese", sometimes differentiating between the two. In India, while the term Swiss cheese is sometimes used, the product is often referred to as Emmental cheese.
The production of Swiss cheese involves the use of three types of bacteria: Streptococcus thermophilus, Lactobacillus (L. helveticus or L. delbrueckii subsp. bulgaricus), and Propionibacterium (Propionibacterium freudenreichii subsp. shermani). During the late stages of cheese production, the propionibacteria consume the lactic acid excreted by the other bacteria and release acetate, propionic acid, and carbon dioxide gas.
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Swiss cheese is characterised by a mild nutlike flavour and an elastic texture
Swiss cheese is a hard, yellow, medium-hard cheese with a mild nutlike flavour and an elastic texture. It is characterised by large holes, known as "
The term "Swiss cheese" is used to refer to any variety of cheese that resembles Emmental cheese, which originated in the Emmental region of Switzerland. The term is now used more generically and does not necessarily imply that the cheese is made in Switzerland. Swiss cheese is produced in many countries, including the United States, Finland, Estonia, and Ireland, and in India, where it is sometimes made with pasteurised or part-skim milk, rather than the raw milk used in the original Swiss cheese.
In the United States, the Department of Agriculture uses the terms "Swiss cheese" and "Emmentaler cheese" interchangeably. In Australia, both terms are also used interchangeably, along with the term "Swiss-style cheese". However, in some cases, the two terms are differentiated to indicate whether the cheese is made in Switzerland or elsewhere.
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Swiss cheese is sometimes used to refer to a drive-by shooting, due to the resulting bullet holes
Swiss cheese is a hard cheese with a distinctive appearance due to the holes, known as "eyes", that form during ripening. The term "Swiss cheese" is used to refer to any variety of cheese that resembles Emmental cheese, which originated in Switzerland. The cheese is now produced in many countries, including the United States, Finland, Estonia, and Ireland, and is sometimes made with pasteurized or part-skim milk, rather than the traditional raw milk used in Switzerland.
The expression "Swiss cheese" has also made its way into popular culture and slang, often used to describe something filled with holes. In the context of a drive-by shooting, the term "Swiss cheese" is used to describe the resulting bullet holes that pepper a target, be it a person or a building. Urban Dictionary, a crowdsourced online dictionary, defines the term "Swiss cheese" in this context as: "To have a drive-by shooting, fill someone's house with bullets, thus leaving lots of holes." The entry also includes an example sentence: "You better pay up your debt or we'll Swiss cheese your place tonight."
The use of the term "Swiss cheese" in this context is a vivid and graphic way to describe the multitude of bullet holes that result from a drive-by shooting. The slang term is often used to threaten or intimidate someone, as in the example sentence from Urban Dictionary. It is also used to describe the act of emptying an entire clip or ammo belt into an enemy, as in the sentence: "Lamar was arrested for swiss cheesing someone in a city alley last night."
The use of the term "Swiss cheese" to describe the result of a drive-by shooting is a stark and violent co-option of the name of a well-known food item. The expression is effective due to the cheese's unique characteristics, and the mental image it evokes of a target riddled with holes, much like the cheese itself.
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Swiss cheese is made with pasteurised or part-skim milk, unlike the original from Switzerland, which used raw milk
Swiss cheese is a hard, yellow, medium-hard cheese with an elastic texture, a mild nutlike flavour, and large holes that form during ripening. It is sometimes made with pasteurised or part-skim milk, unlike the traditional Swiss method, which uses raw milk. This style of cheese is known as Emmental, named after the area in Switzerland where it originated.
Swiss cheese is now produced in many countries, including the United States, Finland, Estonia, and Ireland. The term "Swiss cheese" is a generic term for any variety of cheese that resembles Emmental. It does not imply that the cheese is made in Switzerland. In Australia, the terms Swiss cheese and Emmentaler cheese are used interchangeably, along with the term "Swiss-style cheese" in some cases.
Three types of bacteria are used in the production of Swiss cheese: Streptococcus thermophilus, Lactobacillus (L. helveticus or L. delbrueckii subsp. bulgaricus), and Propionibacterium (Propionibacterium freudenreichii subsp. shermani). During the late stages of cheese production, the propionibacteria consume the lactic acid excreted by the other bacteria and release acetate, propionic acid, and carbon dioxide gas.
The holes in Swiss cheese are known as "eyes", and cheese without these holes is called "blind".
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Frequently asked questions
Swiss cheese is a hard cheese with an elastic texture, a mild nut-like flavour, and large holes that form during the ripening process.
Swiss cheese is made using three types of bacteria: Streptococcus thermophilus, Lactobacillus (L. helveticus or L. delbrueckii subsp. bulgaricus), and Propionibacterium (Propionibacterium freudenreichii subsp. shermani).
Swiss cheese originated in the Emmental region of Switzerland.
Swiss cheese made in countries like the US, Finland, Estonia, and Ireland often use pasteurized or part-skim milk, while the original Swiss cheese is made with raw milk.
The term "Swiss cheesed" is often used to describe a situation where someone or something is filled with holes, similar to the appearance of Swiss cheese. It can also be used in the context of a drive-by shooting, indicating that a person or place was riddled with bullets, resulting in multiple holes.
