Emmentaler AOP

Emmental was the first real encounter we had with Swiss cheese in a lot of countries.’ The name comes from the Emme Valley in the canton of Bern. There, you can trace cheese production back to the 13th century. Emmental AOP is now produced in about 110 local dairies using local, untreated milk from cows that graze on grass and hay and never receive silage. It takes about 12 liters of milk to produce one kilogram of cheese. All additives and genetically modified ingredients are prohibited. Lots of holes and a characteristic taste, a favorite for many.

The round cheese block weighs 75 to 120 kg. According to history, a larger volume was exported to Russia. The Tsar imposed a tariff, but instead of per kilogram, it was per cheese, prompting the clever Swiss to quickly increase the size of the cheeses. Managing a 120 kg cheese is a challenge; normally, they weigh around 80 kg. A cheese of this size needs a considerable time in the affinage to achieve full flavor, and our youngest one has been aged for 12 months.