Swiss cheese (North America)

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".<ref>The Nibble. Cheese Glossary. See the asterisked footnote at the very bottom of that page Thenibble.com</ref>

"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.<ref>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>Swiss Cheese, Emmentaler Cheese Grades and Standards, U.S. Department of Agriculture, accessed March 25, 2020</ref><ref>How to Buy Cheese Template:Webarchive, 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>How to Make Swiss Cheese, Country Brewer, accessed March 25, 2020</ref><ref>Valerie Pearson. 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>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.

Production

Three types of bacteria are used in the production of Swiss cheese: Streptococcus thermophilus,<ref>Template:Cite journal</ref> Lactobacillus (L. helveticus or L. delbrueckii subsp. bulgaricus), and Propionibacterium (Propionibacterium freudenreichii subsp. shermani).<ref>Swiss Cheese Niche. 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. 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. 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>Swiss cheese hole mystery solved: It's all down to dirt. BBC (28 May 2015). Retrieved 31 May 2015.</ref><ref name=TNY61015>Template:Cite magazine</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>

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.<ref>Swiss Cheese Niche. 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.Professorshouse.com See the eighth paragraph.</ref>

Typical annual production of Swiss cheese in the United States is approximately Template:Convert.<ref>Template:Cite book</ref>

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. 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>Template:Cite book</ref>

See also

• Maasdam cheese
• List of Swiss cheeses

External links

• Swiss Cheese Niche microbewiki.kenyon.edu
• Making Swiss Cheese biology.clc.uc.edu