Swiss cheese the generic name for several varieties of cheese originally made in Switzerland. In the United States “swiss cheese” is an imitation of the Swiss Emmental or Emmentaler. Swiss cheese is a mild cheese made from cow’s milk and has a firmer texture than baby Swiss. The flavor is mild, sweet and nut-like. Swiss cheese is known for being shiny, pale yellow, and having large holes (called eyes) resulting from carbon dioxide released during the maturation process. Cheesemakers can control the size of the holes by changing the acidity, temperature, and curing time.
Commonly known as “Swiss” cheese, Emmental originally came from the Emme River Valley near Bern. Emmental is one of the largest cheeses in the world, requiring 262 gallons of cow’s milk for one 200-pound wheel of cheese. It is deep yellow in color and has holes the size of cherries, sometimes up to golf ball size. The scent of Emmental suggests meadows, raisins and wood fires. The flavor is strong and fruity with a mature woody finish. French Emmental has a slightly stronger taste that the Swiss variety. Emmental stands well on its own as a snacking cheese. It is fantastic in salads with mushrooms, cornichons, bell peppers and shallots. A Reuben would not be a Reuben without a slice of melting Emmental. Try a slice with apples or pears, rye, pumpernickel or sourdough breads, coarse mustard’s, corned beef and sauerkraut. Fruity red wines such as Beaujolais, Merlot, Syrah or Shiraz are all good choices.
Credit : Food.com
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