Swiss cheese (North America)

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Swiss cheese
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Swiss cheese
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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". [1]

Contents

"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. [2] The United States Department of Agriculture uses the terms Swiss cheese and Emmentaler cheese interchangeably. [3] [4] In Australia, both terms are used, along with Swiss-style cheese, in some cases differentiating the two. [5] [6] The term Swiss cheese is sometimes used in India, [7] although it is also often referred to as Emmental.

Production

Three types of bacteria are used in the production of Swiss cheese: Streptococcus thermophilus , [8] Lactobacillus ( L. helveticus or L. delbrueckii subsp. bulgaricus), and Propionibacterium (Propionibacterium freudenreichii subsp. shermani). [9] 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". [10] The acetate and propionic acid give Swiss its nutty and sweet flavor. [11] 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". [12] [13] 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. [14]

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. [15] 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. [16]

Typical annual production of Swiss cheese in the United States is approximately 330 million pounds (150 kt). [17]

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. [18] Baby Swiss was developed in the mid-1960s outside of Charm, Ohio, by the Guggisberg Cheese Company, owned by Alfred Guggisberg. [19]

Nutrition

Macronutrient content of common cheeses, g per 100 g
WaterProteinFatCarbs
Swiss 37.126.927.85.4
Feta 55.214.221.34.1
Cheddar 36.824.933.11.3
Mozzarella 5022.222.42.2
Cottage 8011.14.33.4
Vitamin content of common cheeses, DV% per 100 g
AB1B2B3B5B6B9B12CDEK
Swiss1741704415601123
Feta81050510218280012
Cheddar202220445140313
Mozzarella142171122380013
Cottage3210062370000
Mineral content of common cheeses, DV% per 100 g
ClCaFeMgPKNaZnCuMnSe
Swiss2.8791015728292026
Feta2.2494534246192121
Cheddar3724751326212120
Mozzarella2.8512535226191124
Cottage3.38021631531014

Nutrient data from SELF.com. [20] Abbreviations: Cl = Choline; Ca = Calcium; Fe = Iron; Mg = Magnesium; P = Phosphorus; K = Potassium; Na = Sodium; Zn = Zinc; Cu = Copper; Mn = Manganese; Se = Selenium.

See also

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Gruyère cheese</span> Swiss medium-hard Alpine cheese

Gruyère is a hard Swiss cheese that originated in the cantons of Fribourg, Vaud, Neuchâtel, Jura, and Berne in Switzerland. It is named after the town of Gruyères in Fribourg. In 2001, Gruyère gained the appellation d'origine contrôlée (AOC), which became the appellation d'origine protégée (AOP) as of 2013.

<i>Lactobacillus delbrueckii <span style="font-style:normal;">subsp.</span> bulgaricus</i> Subspecies of bacteria, used in yogurt

Lactobacillus bulgaricus is the main bacterium used for the production of yogurt. It also plays a crucial role in the ripening of some cheeses, as well as in other processes involving naturally fermented products. It is defined as homofermentive lactic acid bacteria due to lactic acid being the single end product of its carbohydrate digestion. It is also considered a probiotic.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Propionic acid</span> Carboxylic acid with chemical formula CH3CH2CO2H

Propionic acid is a naturally occurring carboxylic acid with chemical formula CH
3
CH
2
CO
2
H
. It is a liquid with a pungent and unpleasant smell somewhat resembling body odor. The anion CH
3
CH
2
CO
2
as well as the salts and esters of propionic acid are known as propionates or propanoates.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jarlsberg cheese</span> Norwegian medium-hard Alpine-type cheese

Jarlsberg is a mild cheese made from cow's milk, with large, regular eyes, originating from Jarlsberg, Norway. It is produced in Norway, as well as in Ireland and the US state of Ohio, licensed from Norwegian dairy producers. It is classified as a Swiss-type cheese.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Cream cheese</span> Soft, mild-tasting cheese with a high fat content

Cream cheese is a soft, usually mild-tasting fresh cheese made from milk and cream. Cream cheese is not naturally matured and is meant to be consumed fresh, so it differs from other soft cheeses such as Brie and Neufchâtel. It is more comparable in taste, texture, and production methods to Boursin and mascarpone. Stabilizers such as carob bean gum and carrageenan are often added in industrial production.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Cheesemaking</span> Craft of making cheese

Cheesemaking is the craft of making cheese. The production of cheese, like many other food preservation processes, allows the nutritional and economic value of a food material, in this case milk, to be preserved in concentrated form. Cheesemaking allows the production of the cheese with diverse flavors and consistencies.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Emmental cheese</span> Swiss medium-hard Alpine cheese

Emmental, Emmentaler, or Emmenthal is a yellow, medium-hard cheese that originated in Emmen, Switzerland. It is classified as a Swiss-type cheese.

<i>Propionibacterium</i> Genus of bacteria

Propionibacterium is a gram-positive, anaerobic, rod-shaped genus of bacteria named for their unique metabolism: They are able to synthesize propionic acid by using unusual transcarboxylase enzymes.

Clostridium tyrobutyricum is a rod-shaped, Gram-positive bacterium that grows under anaerobic conditions and produces butyric acid, acetic acid and hydrogen gas as the major fermentation products from glucose and xylose.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Cheese</span> Curdled milk food product

Cheese is a dairy product produced in a range of flavors, textures, and forms by coagulation of the milk protein casein. It comprises proteins and fat from milk. During production, milk is usually acidified and either the enzymes of rennet or bacterial enzymes with similar activity are added to cause the casein to coagulate. The solid curds are then separated from the liquid whey and pressed into finished cheese. Some cheeses have aromatic molds on the rind, the outer layer, or throughout.

Lactobacillus helveticus is a lactic-acid producing, rod-shaped bacterium of the genus Lactobacillus. It is most commonly used in the production of American Swiss cheese and Emmental cheese, but is also sometimes used in making other styles of cheese, such as Cheddar, Parmesan, Romano, provolone, and mozzarella. The primary function of L. helveticus culture is to prevent bitterness and produce nutty flavors in the final cheese. In Emmental cheese production, L. helveticus is used in conjunction with a Propionibacterium culture, which is responsible for developing the holes through production of carbon dioxide gas.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Types of cheese</span> Classification of coagulated milk products

There are many different types of cheese. Cheeses can be grouped or classified according to criteria such as length of fermentation, texture, methods of production, fat content, animal milk, and country or region of origin. The method most commonly and traditionally used is based on moisture content, which is then further narrowed down by fat content and curing or ripening methods. The criteria may either be used singly or in combination, with no single method being universally used.

Propionibacterium freudenreichii is a gram-positive, non-motile bacterium that plays an important role in the creation of Emmental cheese, and to some extent, Jarlsberg cheese, Leerdammer and Maasdam cheese. Its concentration in Swiss-type cheeses is higher than in any other cheese. Propionibacteria are commonly found in milk and dairy products, though they have also been extracted from soil. P. freudenreichii has a circular chromosome about 2.5 Mb long. When Emmental cheese is being produced, P. freudenreichii ferments lactate to form acetate, propionate, and carbon dioxide

(3 C3H6O3 → 2 C2H5CO2 + C2H3O2 + CO2).
<span class="mw-page-title-main">Eyes (cheese)</span> Round holes in cheese

Eyes are the round holes that are a characteristic feature of Swiss-type cheese and some Dutch-type cheeses. The eyes are bubbles of carbon dioxide gas. The gas is produced by various species of bacteria in the cheese.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Cheese ripening</span> Process in cheesemaking

Cheese ripening, alternatively cheese maturation or affinage, is a process in cheesemaking. It is responsible for the distinct flavour of cheese, and through the modification of "ripening agents", determines the features that define many different varieties of cheeses, such as taste, texture, and body. The process is "characterized by a series of complex physical, chemical and microbiological changes" that incorporates the agents of "bacteria and enzymes of the milk, lactic culture, rennet, lipases, added moulds or yeasts, and environmental contaminants". The majority of cheese is ripened, except for fresh cheese.

Cultured dextrose is a food additive used to inhibit the growth of undesirable bacteria and mold in food. Often used in place of benzoates and sorbates, it is considered by some consumers to be a more "natural" ingredient, because it is prepared by the fermentation of milk or sugar powders by the probiotic bacteria Propionibacterium freudenreichii and Lactococcus lactis, both of which are extensively used in the production of cheese and other dairy products.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Swiss-type cheeses</span> Family of semi-hard cheeses

Swiss-type cheeses, also known as Alpine cheeses, are a group of hard or semi-hard cheeses with a distinct character, whose origins lie in the Alps of Europe, although they are now eaten and imitated in most cheesemaking parts of the world. Their distinct character arose from the requirements of cheese made in the summer on high Alpine grasslands, and then transported with the cows down to the valleys in the winter, in the historic culture of Alpine transhumance. Traditionally the cheeses were made in large rounds or "wheels" with a hard rind, and were robust enough for both keeping and transporting.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Swiss cheeses and dairy products</span> Cheeses and dairy products produced in Switzerland

Switzerland has a strong and ancestral dairy farming and cheesemaking tradition. The breeding of cattle, sheep and goats for milk is attested in the Neolithic period and, since Antiquity, cheese has been exported from the Alpine regions. The rugged nature of the country makes approximately 80% of the agricultural land unsuitable for cultivation, which is therefore mainly exploited for cattle and sheep farming. This mode of exploitation has forged a large part of the Swiss landscape, in the Alps, the Jura and on the Swiss Plateau.

References

  1. The Nibble. Cheese Glossary. See the asterisked footnote at the very bottom of that page Thenibble.com
  2. Everything you need to know about Swiss cheese by Erica Marcus, Newsday , July 23, 2014, accessed March 25, 2020
  3. Swiss Cheese, Emmentaler Cheese Grades and Standards, U.S. Department of Agriculture, accessed March 25, 2020
  4. How to Buy Cheese , U.S. Department of Agriculture (1971), p. 15
  5. How to Make Swiss Cheese, Country Brewer, accessed March 25, 2020
  6. Valerie Pearson. Home Cheese Making in Australia: Simple Recipes You Can Make at Home , 2nd edition, unpaged, Chapter 4, "Eye Cheeses"
  7. Why do some types of cheese have holes, Times of India, July 13, 2019, accessed March 25, 2020
  8. "Validation of the Publication of New Names and New Combinations Previously Effectively Published Outside the IJSB: List No. 54". International Journal of Systematic Bacteriology. 45 (3): 619–620. July 1995. doi: 10.1099/00207713-45-3-619 .
  9. Swiss Cheese Niche. Microbewiki.kenyon.edu
  10. A bacterium used in the production of Emmental. Genoscope. 16 January 2008. Genoscope.cns.fr. See the "Activities in cheese" section.
  11. Making Swiss Cheese. David B. Fankhauser, PhD. Professor of Biology and Chemistry. University of Cincinnati Clermont College
  12. Swiss cheese hole mystery solved: It's all down to dirt. BBC (28 May 2015). Retrieved 31 May 2015.
  13. Nicola Twilley (10 June 2015). "How Does Swiss Cheese Get Its Holes?". The New Yorker. Retrieved 10 June 2015. Switzerland's cheese-blindness epidemic seems to have been caused by excessively clean milk.
  14. Scientific American Cheese Story, August 2010, p. 33
  15. Swiss Cheese Niche. Microbewiki.kenyon.edu
  16. Swiss Cheese.Professorshouse.com See the eighth paragraph.
  17. Dairy Products 2020 Summary (PDF). United States Department of Agriculture, National Agricultural Statistics Service. April 2021. p. 37. Retrieved 19 March 2023.
  18. Swiss Cheese. Recipetips.com
  19. George Zimmermann, Carol Zimmermann (24 November 2009). Ohio Off the Beaten Path. Globe Pequot. p. 58. ISBN   9780762761678.
  20. "SELF Nutrition Data - Food Facts, Information & Calorie Calculator". nutritiondata.self.com.