Swiss Emmental, a cheese with character

DW (English)

Holes are a trademark of Emmental cheese, making it synonymous with Swiss cheese worldwide. But are these holes in danger of disappearing?

Transcript

00:00It's only the real deal with holes in it.

00:03An Emmental is the quintessential Swiss cheese.

00:09It's nice and elastic, with that nutty, sweet Emmental flavor.

00:15Discover how this classic cheese is traditionally made in Switzerland

00:18and learn about the process that forms its distinctive holes.

00:23The sound I hear when tapping lets me know if there are enough holes

00:27and if the holes are big enough to remove the cheese later.

00:30Otherwise the cheese would explode.

00:34And we explain why these holes were at risk of disappearing.

00:40Emmental is protected designation of origin, meaning it is subject to strict requirements.

00:46The farm supplying the dairy must be located within a 20 km radius of the cheese factory.

00:51Industrial farming is prohibited and the cows are only allowed to graze on fresh grass and hay.

01:00Equally important are the bacterial cultures as they determine the taste and consistency of the cheese.

01:06Master cheesemaker Christoph Hoffa cultivates the right mixture in skimmed milk

01:10and each master cheesemaker has their own unique recipe for it.

01:15The bacterial cultures and the enzyme rennets curdle the milk, resulting in a mass cut into curd.

01:21It is then poured into huge emmental molds.

01:31Now the typical labels are being placed on top of each cheese.

01:36The wheels are then left to set for 20 hours.

01:44The cheese is initially pressed with a pressure of about 100 kg, which gradually increases to 1200 kg.

01:51This process helps the individual curds bind together effectively while allowing the weight to drain off.

02:02The pressed emmental cheeses are soaked in a salt bath for two days.

02:07Which is essential not only for forming the rind, but also for enhancing the flavor.

02:11Large wheels are a characteristic of emmental cheese, which can weigh up to 120 kg each at the Ai Viac cheese dairy.

02:22The large size of cheeses dates back to when customs duties were assessed per wheel instead of by weight.

02:29Which led producers to think, yeah, I'll just make the cheese bigger.

02:33Very clever. The cheeses are placed in a fermentation cellar at 22 degrees Celsius for 60 days.

02:41During this time, holes begin to form.

02:43Carbon dioxide gas builds up inside the cheese, creating the holes since the gas cannot escape.

02:49Christophe taps the cheese to check its progress.

02:52Tiny impurities in the milk, specifically hay particles from barns, are essential for the formation of holes in emmental cheese.

02:59But as barns have become cleaner in recent decades, the presence of these hay particles in the milk has diminished.

03:06The result? Emmental cheese has faced a significant challenge.

03:12There are issues with the holes in the cheese, as there are currently just too few of them.

03:18One way to address this problem has involved adding hay flour powder to the milk.

03:23This creates more holes in the emmental cheese.

03:26So in the end, just an easy fix was needed to solve the problem.

03:33The emmental cheeses are aged in storage cellars for 3 to 24 months.

03:38The longer emmental cheese matures, the stronger its flavor.

03:41the stronger its flavor.

03:50Standing in this cellar fills me with pride.

03:55All the effort that goes into it pays off when I see the result.

03:59These lovely emmental cheeses.

04:01It's a very good feeling.

04:03Since very few people need 120 kilograms of cheese in a single piece, the cheese wheels are sliced up for export around the world.

04:16Artisanal emmental cheese from Switzerland, easily recognizable by its holes.

04:21Does it matter to you where your cheese comes from?

04:23No doubt.

04:24So without theل like that answers.

04:25What theuru comes from?

04:28Or no fuels your heart!

04:32Or you can see this where yours comes from?

04:35You could not know where yours comes from.

04:37Any idea?

04:38Where yours comes from?

04:43B APPLAUSE

04:45A original playing the game.

04:47As it comes from that.

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