Hard cheese
Emmental
Switzerland — Emmental valley, canton of Bern.
AOPEmmentaler AOP (Switzerland). Swiss AOP: raw milk; 'emmental' is also made elsewhere.
Profile
- Milk
- Cow's milk (raw for AOP).
- Pasteurisation
- Raw (AOP); other emmentals are often pasteurised.
- Texture
- Firm, supple, with large round holes ('eyes').
- Flavour
- Mild, sweet, nutty.
- Aroma
- Nutty, sweet.
- Rind
- Hard natural rind.
- Typical maturation
- At least 4 months (AOP); commonly 4–12+ months
Tasting & pairing
Look at the eyes; taste the sweet-nutty paste. Use the tasting wheel.
Food
- Fondue
- Ham sandwiches
- Rye bread
- Apples
Drinks (non-alcoholic)
- Apple juice
- Black tea
Optional, if you drink alcohol: Dry white wine.
Storage: Wrap; refrigerate.
How it's made
- Method
- Large wheels are cooked and pressed, brined, then held in a warm room where propionic bacteria make CO₂ that forms the holes.
- Cultures
- Thermophilic cultures plus Propionibacterium freudenreichii.
- Coagulation
- Rennet
- Curd handling
- Cut fine, cooked high.
- Pressing
- Pressed.
- Salting
- Brined.
- Ageing
- Cool room, then warm room (eye formation), then cool again.
At home: Not practical at home
Needs very large wheels and a warm eye-forming room.
Recipes on FriendsPantry that use it
Sources
- Cheese Making Technology e-book — University of Guelph, Food Science
- Molds on Food: Are They Dangerous? — USDA Food Safety and Inspection Service
- Emmentaler AOP — Emmentaler Switzerland
Guidance changes: check the source for current wording. Original text; figures quoted from the sources where stated.