🧀 Kaltbach

Kaltbach is a brand of the Swiss dairy company Emmi (Emmi Schweiz AG) for cheeses that are matured in a natural cave.

The sandstone cave reaches deep into the Santenberg hill near the village of Kaltbach in the canton of Lucerne. It was first used for ripening cheese in 1953. Thanks to the nature of the rock, temperature and humidity in the cave stay constant all year, so no artificial cooling is needed.

Selected wheels of Swiss cheese are brought to the cave, where cave masters tend them for months. In this climate the cheese develops its characteristic dark rind and a distinctive “cave aroma” (Höhlenaroma).

The core of the range is hard cheese with protected names: Kaltbach Le Gruyère AOP, a raw-milk Gruyère refined for twelve months, and Kaltbach Emmentaler AOP, an Emmental with the same refinement time. The brand also offers a raclette cheese, Appenzeller and a cave-refined goat's cheese. The cheeses are sold cut from the wheel at the counter and as pre-packed portions.

How to use it: serve the matured hard cheeses on a cheese board with bread, nuts and fruit, grate them into fondue and gratins, and melt the raclette cheese over potatoes. Keep the cheese in the fridge and let it reach room temperature before serving.