29 - Swiss Emmentaler Cheese Factory
Saturday, June 24, 2023, our Hiestand-Haston Tour Group will visit the world-famous Cheese Factory in the Emmental region of Canton Bern, Switzerland. There are around 2000 groups of tourists, one-third of which are foreigners from around the world, visiting this cheese factory every year.
Swiss cheese is a piece of paradise handed down by the gods, a masterpiece, an object of envy and an ambassador of peace. And now, it’s time to have another piece of cheese. Adieu!
Inside the Emmental cheese factory (it’s where the magic happens!)
Emmental Cheese Facts
- Emmental cheeses have been crafted according to an original recipe that dates back to the 13th century.
- Emmental cheese is produced in large, wheel-shaped barrels. Each barrel is marked with a unique code which helps the manufacturer trace the origin of the milk back to the supplier.
- Each wheel measures between 80 to 100 centimeters and weighs anywhere from 75 to a 125 kilograms.
- The bacteria present in the cheese produce carbon dioxide which is responsible for the varying sizes of holes in the cheese. So, basically, you pay for cheese and for carbon dioxide…
- The holes in the Swiss cheese are called the eyes. A variety that does not have eyes is called a blind cheese.
- During the first ageing phase, the cheese is matured for six to eight weeks in the boiler room of the cheese factory.
- Afterwards, it is moved to the storage cellars for two or four weeks. In the final phase of the maturation, the cheese wheels are stored in cellars of affineurs who regularly turn, groom and check to see if the cheeses are “healthy and happy.”
- The youngest cheese is matured for at least four months and is aged in cellars with controlled temperature.
- The longer a cheese is stored, the darker its bark becomes.
- There have been strict animal welfare laws laid out by the Swiss government dating back to the 1700s. The cows had to have access to fresh green grass and clean drinking water during the day. Also, animal cruelty was not tolerated.
- Today, Swiss animal welfare laws are evidently stricter, assuring Emmental cheese consumers nothing but its highest quality.
How Swiss Emmentaler Cheese Is Made
8:00 minutes – Interesting and Informative Video
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