🧀 Emmental
Also known as: Emmentaler, Emmenthal, Swiss cheese
Ripened hard cheese from cows' or buffaloes' milk with regular gas holes, an elastic body and a mild, nut-like, sweet flavour.
Emmental is a ripened hard cheese from cows' or buffaloes' milk, with an elastic, sliceable body and regular gas holes from cherry to walnut size, mostly 1–5 cm. The type is defined by the Codex Alimentarius standard (CXS 269), so it is made far beyond Switzerland. 1
English shoppers meet it as Emmental, Emmentaler or Emmenthal, and none of these words says where the block was made: plain «Emmental» can come from many countries and may be younger and made differently. Three European names do pin it down. Swiss Emmentaler AOP carries its full name on the rind and pack, while France registers Emmental français est-central and Emmental de Savoie as PGI, with the PGI mark. 23456
The holes are biology at work: thermophilic lactic acid bacteria start the cheese, and propionic acid bacteria carry out the secondary, lactate fermentation. After cutting, the curd is heated well above the coagulation temperature, about 50 °C in traditional practice. Codex asks for at least 45% fat in dry matter and 60–67% dry matter, and for wheels or blocks of 40 kg or more, with a hard, dry rind or none. Ripening runs at 10–25 °C, or at least 6 weeks under alternative conditions. 1
The Swiss cheese is far stricter. Fresh raw milk must be processed within 24 hours, silage feed is banned, and farm and dairy lie no more than 20 km apart. Only milk, rennet, native cultures, water and salt go in. A wheel measures 80–100 cm across and weighs 75–120 kg; one of around 100 kg takes 1,200 litres of milk. 24
Agroscope, the Swiss federal agricultural research centre, dates the cheese to the Emmental of the 13th century. From about 1815 the first valley dairies made it all year round and carried production beyond the canton of Bern. 4
Frequently asked questions
Is it true that Emmental must be made from raw milk?
No. The Codex standard for the type does not require raw milk; that rule belongs to the Swiss Emmentaler AOP alone.
What does Emmental taste like?
Typically mild, nut-like and sweet. On Swiss cheese the age on the label tells you how much nuttier or spicier it will be.
What do classic, Réserve and cave-aged mean on Emmentaler?
They are ages: classic or mild at least 4 months, Réserve at least 8 months, cave-aged at least 12 months, with a dark brown to black patina on the rind.
Where is Emmentaler AOP made today?
In Aargau, Bern, Glarus, Lucerne, Schwyz, Solothurn, St Gallen, Thurgau, Zug, Zurich and parts of Fribourg.
Facts
| Raw material | Cows' or buffaloes' milk (Codex); Emmentaler AOP: fresh raw cows' milk 12 |
|---|---|
| Country | Switzerland (Emmentaler AOP) 2 |
| Region | Emmental region 4 |
| Duration | Normally from 2 months (Codex); Emmentaler AOP from 4 months 12 |
| Taste | Mild, nut-like, sweet 1 |
| Yield | About 32,000 tonnes a year (Emmentaler Switzerland) 4 |
How it connects to Cheese
🧀 Emmental ← gives ← 🔄 Curdling → gives → 🧀 Cheese
Links
- Made from which milk
- 🥛 Cow's milk
- How it is made
- 🔄 Curdling, 🔄 Ripening
- What is needed
- 🧫 Rennet, 🧫 Starter culture, 🧂 Salt
- What it contains
- 🧪 Milk fat
- Traditions
- 🌍 Central Europe
- Part of
- 🪨 Hard cheeses, 🇨🇭 Swiss cheeses
- Similar and different
- 🧀 Maasdam, Mlekpol Senator, Mlekpol Kurpiowski, OSM Sierpc Markiz, 🧀 Gruyère, 🧀 Allgäuer Emmentaler
What to read next
- 🥛 Cow's milk — The most widespread milk in the world: versatile, inexpensive and the basis of almost all dairy products.
- 🧀 Maasdam — A Dutch semi-hard cow's milk cheese with large holes and a sweet, nutty taste.
- Mlekpol Senator — Mlekpol Senator is a range of ripened cheeses, Senator Emmentaler and Senator Gouda, made at Mlekpol's Kolno plant and ripened with a dry rind.
- 🧪 Milk fat — ~3.5% in cow's milk.
- 🔄 Curdling — Rennet coagulates casein into a curd (the basis of cheese).
Similar
🧀 Gruyère · 🧀 Tête de Moine · 🧀 Wensleydale · 🧀 Rumi cheese · 🧀 Kefalotyri · 🧀 Sbrinz
ℹ️ Dairy products contain lactose and milk proteins: if you are lactose intolerant or allergic to milk protein, ask a doctor.
What it includes
- Président Emmental
- 🧀 Emmental français est-central
- 🧀 Allgäuer Emmentaler
- Entremont Râpés
- 🧀 Emmental de Savoie
- Entremont L'Emmental Français Bio
- Entremont L'Emmental Français Râpé
- Entremont L'Emmental Français Râpé Bio
All (24) →
- 🧀 Allgäuer Emmentaler
- 🧀 Emmental de Savoie
- 🧀 Emmental français est-central
- Entremont L'Emmental Français Bio
- Entremont L'Emmental Français Râpé
- Entremont L'Emmental Français Râpé Bio
- Entremont L'Emmental Tendre Meule
- Ferrari Emmentaler Switzerland
- Kaltbach Emmentaler AOP
- 🧀 Kaltbach Emmentaler AOP
- Kerrygold Emmental
- Mlekovita Ementaler z Zakopanego
- Mlekpol Senator Emmentaler
- Président Emmental
- Président Emmental Cœur de Meule
- Président Emmental Cœur de Meule Sel Réduit
- Président Emmental Râpé Fondant
- Président Emmental Râpé Fondant Sel Réduit
- Président Mini Emmental Cœur de Meule
- Président Râpé Gros Brins
- Président Tranches Emmental Cœur de Meule
- Président Tranches d'Emmental Baguette
- Président Tranches d'Emmental Façon Brasserie
- Entremont Râpés
Sources
- FAO/WHO Codex Alimentarius. Milk and milk products, 2nd ed. (2011): CODEX STAN 269-1967 Emmental
- Emmentaler Switzerland — What is governed by the specifications (Emmentaler AOP)
- Emmentaler Switzerland — How big and heavy is a wheel of Emmentaler AOP
- Agroscope — Emmentaler AOP
- INAO — Emmental français Est-Central (IGP, IG/54/94)
- INAO — Emmental de Savoie (IGP, IG/53/94)