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{{Short description|Emmental or similar cheeses}}
[[Image:Swiss cheese cubes.jpg|thumb|250px|Cubes of [[Emmental]] Swiss cheese]]
{{pp-semi|small=yes}}
'''Swiss cheese''' is the generic name, in the [[United States]], for several related varieties of [[cheese]], originally made in [[Switzerland]]. It has a distinctive appearance, as a block of the cheese is cratered with holes (although not all kinds of Swiss cheese has this feature; see below). The use of ''Swiss cheese'' as a generic name for a type of cheese (as opposed to a descriptor of national origin) is not common in the [[United Kingdom]], where the cheeses are usually distinguished individually.
{{Use dmy dates|date=September 2015}}
{{Infobox cheese
| name = Swiss cheese
| image = NCI swiss cheese.jpg
| caption =
| country =
| region =
| town =
| source = [[Cow]]s
| pasteurised =
| texture =
| aging =
| certification =
}}


The term "'''Swiss cheese'''" is one used of any variety of [[cheese]] that resembles [[Emmental cheese]], a yellow, [[medium-hard cheese]] that originated in the area around [[Emmental]], Switzerland. It is classified as a [[Swiss-type cheeses|Swiss-type or Alpine cheese]]. The term is [[Trademark distinctiveness#Generic terms|generic]]; it does not imply that the cheese is actually made in Switzerland. Some types of Swiss cheese have a distinctive appearance, as the blocks or rounds of the cheese are riddled with holes known as "[[Eyes (cheese)|eyes]]". Cheese without eyes is known as "blind".<ref>''The Nibble''. Cheese Glossary. [http://www.thenibble.com/reviews/main/cheese/cheese2/glossary10.asp See the asterisked footnote at the very bottom of that page Thenibble.com]</ref>
The 450 known Swiss cheeses are classified in 5 categories: extra-hard, hard, semi-hard, semi-soft, and soft. [[Cow]] [[milk]] is used in 99% of the cheeses produced, the remaining share is mostly made up of [[sheep]] and [[goat]] milk.


"Swiss cheese" is now produced in many countries, including the United States, Finland, Estonia, and Ireland. It is sometimes made with [[pasteurized]] or [[skim milk|part-skim milk]], unlike the original from Switzerland made with raw milk.<ref>[https://www.newsday.com/lifestyle/restaurants/everything-you-need-to-know-about-swiss-cheese-1.8867763 Everything you need to know about Swiss cheese] by Erica Marcus, ''[[Newsday]]'', July 23, 2014, accessed March 25, 2020</ref> The [[United States Department of Agriculture]] uses the terms Swiss cheese and Emmentaler cheese interchangeably.<ref>[https://www.ams.usda.gov/grades-standards/swiss-cheese-emmentaler-cheese-grades-and-standards Swiss Cheese, Emmentaler Cheese Grades and Standards], U.S. Department of Agriculture, accessed March 25, 2020</ref><ref>''[https://naldc.nal.usda.gov/download/CAT87213821/PDF How to Buy Cheese]'', U.S. Department of Agriculture (1971), p. 15</ref> In Australia, both terms are used, along with Swiss-style cheese, in some cases differentiating the two.<ref>[https://www.countrybrewer.com.au/pages/how-to-make-swiss-cheese.html How to Make Swiss Cheese], Country Brewer, accessed March 25, 2020</ref><ref>Valerie Pearson. ''[https://books.google.com/books?id=HdVTDwAAQBAJ&q=eye+cheeses&pg=PT236 Home Cheese Making in Australia: Simple Recipes You Can Make at Home]'', 2nd edition, unpaged, Chapter 4, "Eye Cheeses"</ref> The term Swiss cheese is sometimes used in India,<ref>[https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/life-style/food-news/why-do-some-types-of-cheese-have-holes/photostory/70192410.cms Why do some types of cheese have holes], Times of India, July 13, 2019, accessed March 25, 2020</ref> although it is also often referred to as Emmental.
== Well known Swiss cheese (among others) categorized: ==


=== extra-hard: ===
==Production==
Three types of bacteria are used in the production of Swiss cheese: ''[[Streptococcus thermophilus]]'',<ref>{{cite journal |title=Validation of the Publication of New Names and New Combinations Previously Effectively Published Outside the IJSB: List No. 54 |doi=10.1099/00207713-45-3-619 |journal=International Journal of Systematic Bacteriology |date=July 1995 |volume=45 |issue=3 |pages=619–620|doi-access=free }}</ref> ''[[Lactobacillus]]'' (''[[Lactobacillus helveticus|L. helveticus]]'' or [[Lactobacillus delbrueckii subsp. bulgaricus|''L. delbrueckii'' subsp. ''bulgaricus'']]), and ''[[Propionibacterium]]'' ([[Propionibacter shermani|''Propionibacterium freudenreichii'' subsp. ''shermani'']]).<ref>''Swiss Cheese Niche''. [http://microbewiki.kenyon.edu/index.php/Swiss_Cheese_Niche#Inhabitants Microbewiki.kenyon.edu]</ref> In a late stage of cheese production, the propionibacteria consume the [[lactic acid]] excreted by the other bacteria and release [[acetate]], [[propionic acid]], and [[carbon dioxide]] gas. The carbon dioxide slowly forms the bubbles that develop the "eyes".<ref>''A bacterium used in the production of Emmental''. Genoscope. 16 January 2008. [http://www.genoscope.cns.fr/spip/propionibacterium-freudenreichii,467.html Genoscope.cns.fr]. See the "Activities in cheese" section.</ref> The acetate and propionic acid give Swiss its nutty and sweet flavor.<ref>''Making Swiss Cheese''. David B. Fankhauser, PhD. Professor of Biology and Chemistry. [https://web.archive.org/web/20040212232845/http://biology.clc.uc.edu/fankhauser/Cheese/Swiss_Cheese/Swiss_Cheese.html University of Cincinnati Clermont College]</ref> A hypothesis proposed by Swiss researchers in 2015 notes that particulate matter may also play a role in the holes' development and that modern sanitation, which eliminated debris such as hay dust in the milk, played a role in reduced hole size in Swiss cheeses, or even "blind cheese".<ref>[https://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-32920200 Swiss cheese hole mystery solved: It's all down to dirt]. ''BBC'' (28 May 2015). Retrieved 31 May 2015.</ref><ref name=TNY61015>{{cite magazine|author1=Nicola Twilley|title=How Does Swiss Cheese Get Its Holes?|url=http://www.newyorker.com/tech/elements/how-does-swiss-cheese-get-its-holes|access-date=10 June 2015|magazine=The New Yorker|date=10 June 2015|quote=Switzerland’s cheese-blindness epidemic seems to have been caused by excessively clean milk.}}</ref> Historically, the holes were seen as a sign of imperfection and cheese makers originally tried to avoid them by pressing during production; the holes only became an identifier of the cheese in modern times.<ref>''[[Scientific American]]'' Cheese Story, August 2010, p. 33</ref>
*[[Sbrinz|Sbrinz]]


In general, the larger the eyes in a Swiss cheese, the more pronounced its flavor because a longer [[fermentation (food)|fermentation]] period gives the bacteria more time to act.<ref>''Swiss Cheese Niche''. [http://microbewiki.kenyon.edu/index.php/Swiss_Cheese_Niche#Description_of_Swiss_Cheese Microbewiki.kenyon.edu]</ref> This poses a problem, because cheese with large eyes does not slice well and comes apart in mechanical slicers. As a result, U.S. industry regulators have reduced the minimum eye size with which Swiss cheese can receive the Grade A stamp.<ref>''Swiss Cheese''.[http://www.professorshouse.com/food-beverage/food/swiss-cheese.aspx Professorshouse.com] See the eighth paragraph.</ref>
=== hard: ===
*[[Emmental cheese|Emmentaler]], generally known in the U.S. as ''Swiss cheese''
*[[Gruyere cheese|Gruy&egrave;re]]/Greyerzer
*[[Sapsago]] (Glarner Schabziger)
*[[Vacherin_cheese|Vacherin Fribourgeois]]
[[image:Swiss_cheese_cellar.jpg|right|thumbnail|250px|Swiss cheese being stored in a cellar in a small cheese dairy near St. Gallen]]


Typical annual production of Swiss cheese in the United States is approximately {{convert|330|e6lb}}.<ref>{{cite book |title=Dairy Products 2020 Summary |date=April 2021 |publisher=United States Department of Agriculture, National Agricultural Statistics Service |page=37 |url=https://www.nass.usda.gov/Publications/Todays_Reports/reports/daryan21.pdf |access-date=2023-03-19}}</ref>
=== semi-hard: ===
*[[Appenzeller cheese|Appenzeller]]
*[[Bündner Bergkäse]]
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*[[Mutschli cheese|Mutschli]]
*[[Raclette cheese]]
*[[Tête de Moine]]
*[[Royalp Tilsit|Tilsiter]]


=== semi-soft: ===
==Variants==
Baby Swiss and Lacy Swiss are two varieties of American Swiss cheeses. Both have small holes and a mild flavor. Baby Swiss is made from whole milk, and Lacy Swiss is made from low fat milk.<ref>''Swiss Cheese''. [http://www.recipetips.com/glossary-term/t--33623/swiss-cheese.asp Recipetips.com]</ref> Baby Swiss was developed in the mid-1960s outside of [[Charm, Ohio]], by the Guggisberg Cheese Company, owned by Alfred Guggisberg.<ref>{{cite book|author=George Zimmermann, Carol Zimmermann|title=Ohio Off the Beaten Path|publisher=Globe Pequot|date=24 November 2009|pages=58|isbn=9780762761678|url= https://books.google.com/books?id=f7Ga6pUeGhUC&pg=PA58}}</ref>
*[[Vacherin_cheese|Vacherin Mont d'Or ]]


=== soft: ===
==See also==
{{portal|Food}}
*[[Gala cheese|Gala]]
{{div col|colwidth=30em}}
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*[[Maasdam cheese]]
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*[[List of Swiss cheeses]]
{{div col end}}


==References==
Three types of [[bacterium|bacteria]] are used in the production of Emmentaler cheese: ''[[Streptococcus]] thermophilis'', ''[[Lactobacillus]]'', and ''[[Propionibacter]] shermani''. In a late stage of cheese production, ''P. shermani'' consumes the [[lactic acid]] excreted by the other bacteria, and releases carbon dioxide gas, which forms bubbles that appear to be "holes" when the cheese is sliced. The cheese industry calls these holes or tunnels "eyes". Swiss cheese without eyes is known as "blind".
{{Reflist}}


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==External links==
[[Category:lists of foods|Swiss cheese]]
* [http://microbewiki.kenyon.edu/index.php/Swiss_Cheese_Niche Swiss Cheese Niche] microbewiki.kenyon.edu
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* [https://web.archive.org/web/20040212232845/http://biology.clc.uc.edu/fankhauser/Cheese/Swiss_Cheese/Swiss_Cheese.html Making Swiss Cheese] biology.clc.uc.edu


{{American cheeses}}
== See also ==
* [[Cheese]]
* [[bicarbonate]]


{{DEFAULTSORT:Swiss Cheese}}
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== External links ==
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[[Category:American cheeses]]
* [http://www.fromagesuisse.ch Organisation fromagère suisse] (German/French/Italian)
[[Category:Cow's-milk cheeses]]
* [http://www.cheese.ch Cheese cooperative of Switzerland] (German)
[[Category:Cheese with eyes]]
<!-- note that the capital 'H' in CHeese is not an error;
See the article on [[CH]]. -- Dominus -->
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* [http://biology.clc.uc.edu/fankhauser/Cheese/Swiss_Cheese/Swiss_Cheese.html Making Swiss cheese]

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[[Category:Cheeses]]
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[[Category:Swiss cheeses]]

Latest revision as of 12:20, 7 January 2025

Swiss cheese
Source of milkCows
Related media on Commons

The term "Swiss cheese" is one used of any variety of cheese that resembles Emmental cheese, a yellow, medium-hard cheese that originated in the area around Emmental, Switzerland. It is classified as a Swiss-type or Alpine cheese. The term is generic; it does not imply that the cheese is actually made in Switzerland. Some types of Swiss cheese have a distinctive appearance, as the blocks or rounds of the cheese are riddled with holes known as "eyes". Cheese without eyes is known as "blind".[1]

"Swiss cheese" is now produced in many countries, including the United States, Finland, Estonia, and Ireland. It is sometimes made with pasteurized or part-skim milk, unlike the original from Switzerland made with raw milk.[2] The United States Department of Agriculture uses the terms Swiss cheese and Emmentaler cheese interchangeably.[3][4] In Australia, both terms are used, along with Swiss-style cheese, in some cases differentiating the two.[5][6] The term Swiss cheese is sometimes used in India,[7] although it is also often referred to as Emmental.

Production

Three types of bacteria are used in the production of Swiss cheese: Streptococcus thermophilus,[8] Lactobacillus (L. helveticus or L. delbrueckii subsp. bulgaricus), and Propionibacterium (Propionibacterium freudenreichii subsp. shermani).[9] In a late stage of cheese production, the propionibacteria consume the lactic acid excreted by the other bacteria and release acetate, propionic acid, and carbon dioxide gas. The carbon dioxide slowly forms the bubbles that develop the "eyes".[10] The acetate and propionic acid give Swiss its nutty and sweet flavor.[11] A hypothesis proposed by Swiss researchers in 2015 notes that particulate matter may also play a role in the holes' development and that modern sanitation, which eliminated debris such as hay dust in the milk, played a role in reduced hole size in Swiss cheeses, or even "blind cheese".[12][13] Historically, the holes were seen as a sign of imperfection and cheese makers originally tried to avoid them by pressing during production; the holes only became an identifier of the cheese in modern times.[14]

In general, the larger the eyes in a Swiss cheese, the more pronounced its flavor because a longer fermentation period gives the bacteria more time to act.[15] This poses a problem, because cheese with large eyes does not slice well and comes apart in mechanical slicers. As a result, U.S. industry regulators have reduced the minimum eye size with which Swiss cheese can receive the Grade A stamp.[16]

Typical annual production of Swiss cheese in the United States is approximately 330 million pounds (150 kt).[17]

Variants

Baby Swiss and Lacy Swiss are two varieties of American Swiss cheeses. Both have small holes and a mild flavor. Baby Swiss is made from whole milk, and Lacy Swiss is made from low fat milk.[18] Baby Swiss was developed in the mid-1960s outside of Charm, Ohio, by the Guggisberg Cheese Company, owned by Alfred Guggisberg.[19]

See also

References

  1. ^ The Nibble. Cheese Glossary. See the asterisked footnote at the very bottom of that page Thenibble.com
  2. ^ Everything you need to know about Swiss cheese by Erica Marcus, Newsday, July 23, 2014, accessed March 25, 2020
  3. ^ Swiss Cheese, Emmentaler Cheese Grades and Standards, U.S. Department of Agriculture, accessed March 25, 2020
  4. ^ How to Buy Cheese, U.S. Department of Agriculture (1971), p. 15
  5. ^ How to Make Swiss Cheese, Country Brewer, accessed March 25, 2020
  6. ^ Valerie Pearson. Home Cheese Making in Australia: Simple Recipes You Can Make at Home, 2nd edition, unpaged, Chapter 4, "Eye Cheeses"
  7. ^ Why do some types of cheese have holes, Times of India, July 13, 2019, accessed March 25, 2020
  8. ^ "Validation of the Publication of New Names and New Combinations Previously Effectively Published Outside the IJSB: List No. 54". International Journal of Systematic Bacteriology. 45 (3): 619–620. July 1995. doi:10.1099/00207713-45-3-619.
  9. ^ Swiss Cheese Niche. Microbewiki.kenyon.edu
  10. ^ A bacterium used in the production of Emmental. Genoscope. 16 January 2008. Genoscope.cns.fr. See the "Activities in cheese" section.
  11. ^ Making Swiss Cheese. David B. Fankhauser, PhD. Professor of Biology and Chemistry. University of Cincinnati Clermont College
  12. ^ Swiss cheese hole mystery solved: It's all down to dirt. BBC (28 May 2015). Retrieved 31 May 2015.
  13. ^ Nicola Twilley (10 June 2015). "How Does Swiss Cheese Get Its Holes?". The New Yorker. Retrieved 10 June 2015. Switzerland's cheese-blindness epidemic seems to have been caused by excessively clean milk.
  14. ^ Scientific American Cheese Story, August 2010, p. 33
  15. ^ Swiss Cheese Niche. Microbewiki.kenyon.edu
  16. ^ Swiss Cheese.Professorshouse.com See the eighth paragraph.
  17. ^ Dairy Products 2020 Summary (PDF). United States Department of Agriculture, National Agricultural Statistics Service. April 2021. p. 37. Retrieved 19 March 2023.
  18. ^ Swiss Cheese. Recipetips.com
  19. ^ George Zimmermann, Carol Zimmermann (24 November 2009). Ohio Off the Beaten Path. Globe Pequot. p. 58. ISBN 9780762761678.
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