LETS KEEP TALKING OF CHEESE

Switzerland has a couple of internationally acclaimed cheeses along with dozens of other equally delicious options. The book I am using as a reference is the 1983 edition of “Cheese: A Guide to the World of Cheesemaking” by Bruno Battistotti amongst many other authors.

EMMENTAL

Perhaps Emmental is the most known of Swiss cheeses worldwide. This whole cow’s milk cheese is made in central Switzerland and has a firm texture with irregular holes in it. Rich, fruity, and nutty are the three words that best describe the taste of Emmental cheese. Because of its fame, many companies try to emulate  this Swiss cheese, but the genuine product will have the word “Switzerland” stamped in red around the rind. Great for melting and accompanied with fruits and nuts.

GRUYÉRE

After Emmental, this cheese is the second most known Swiss cheese in the world. Although gruyére has a sweeter natural taste to it than it famous counterpart, both cheeses share a similar nutty aroma. Made with whole cow’s milk, this cheese is both delicate and exquisite. Just like Emmental, this cheese is great for fondue.

APPENZELLER

Made from full-fat whole cow’s milk, appenzeller has a semi-hard consistency with sparse holes in it. The rind is washed with salt, white wine, pepper, and spices giving this cheese a pronounced aroma. Because of its slightly bitter yet delectable taste, this cheese was highly prized by emperor Charlemagne. With the last two cheeses given on this list, appenzeller completes the classic Swiss fondue trio.

SBRINZ

As the father of hard cheeses this cheese grates extremely well. Made with whole cow’s milk sbrinz is now made in other European countries like Italy and Germany. This cheese is aromatic and extremely flavorsome making it a great dessert cheese.

SAANENKASE

Because saanenkäse is produced in very small quantities and aged for long periods of time, this cheese is rare and highly-prized. As a hard whole cow’s milk cheese, saanenkäse can easily be used for grating as well as a delicious dessert cheese. This cheese has a scaly texture and a fragrant mellow taste.

BRUSCION

Bruscion is one of the few goat’s milk cheeses manufactured in Switzerland. This cheese is eaten after a short ripening period and it flavor can be described as strong, acidulated, and slightly piquant.

CHABICHOU

Another goat’s milk cheese from Switzerland. Although this cheese is similar in flavor and texture to its French counterpart, the rind of chabichou has a snowy bloom in it. This cheese is very smooth with a tangy taste to it.  

There are two websites that are great for those who are new to the world of cheese. The first website, artisanalcheese.com, is a great place where you can learn about unique cheeses and their wine pairings, you can also purchase a great selection of cheeses from around the world. The second website is thinkcompass.com, a page that has a great cheese dictionary that separates cheeses not by country, but by texture.