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Why does Swiss cheese have holes?

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Re: Why does Swiss cheese have holes?

#111

Post by pests »

bobthepanda wrote: post #78
_2d30 wrote: post #53

Earlier quoted context omitted.

American cheese is just cheese with an emulsifier, sodium citrate, added that makes it so that it doesn’t break when melted. At most it adds a slight amount of acidity and makes for a very attractive melting property. There’s not really anything disgusting about it for most people because most people find its melting properties to be a positive. Hating American cheese is an affect people adopt for the same reason peo…

The technical definition of American cheese is that. In practice, unless you are going to look specifically for it, Kraft, Velveeta et. al. are more than happy to sell you "American cheese product" which does not meet FDA standards for labeling for American cheese, and in practice a lot of people criticizing American cheese are actually criticizing cheese product, which is what is super easy to find both in American…

Unless you are buying the absolute cheapest package of cheese slices it will still be real cheese. I'm not even sure if I've ever even seen a Kraft or Valveeta sliced cheese product, only lesser no-name brands. I've been am American all my life and do not buy process cheese product as it does take like plastic, but actual American cheese is delicious on burgers and grilled cheeses and a few other select meals.

What's crazy is Europe allowing 5% non-milk-fat/vegetable fat products to be called "ice cream". Thankfully in America it has to be 10% milkfat at least.

Re: Why does Swiss cheese have holes?

#112

Post by ericfr11 »

cm2012 wrote: post #85
Gabriel54 wrote: post #81

Earlier quoted context omitted.

It's an observation, not a value judgement. Try finding a fresh loaf of bread in the average American suburb.

American suburbs tend to have excellent bread in middle class neighborhoods or higher. This isn't the 90s.

Most suburbs have very artificial breads. Best bread would be in NY or DC, with a big population of foreigners ready to pay the price for fresh bread.

Re: Why does Swiss cheese have holes?

#113

Post by baobun »

murukesh_s wrote: post #97
Insanity wrote: post #89

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Honest question.. where? Most bread seems to be high in additives and promoted as a “healthy food”, like additional vitamines etc. And even when buying natural bread without these added “benefits”, it often has high levels of sodium (up to like 200mg per slice). Bread is one of the easiest, most plain things to make, yet finding high quality bread isn’t straightforward in the States. But I do really want to know whic…

Wondering why someone did not solve the problem already? Of all the countries in the world US is brimming with entrepreneurs who want to "solve" a consumer problem, and with modern population I assume there is enough demand on fresh/healthier products - why on earth someone wouldn't try to fix it there?

Next up on Show HN: Uber for baking

Re: Why does Swiss cheese have holes?

#114

Post by elzbardico »

chris_va wrote: post #24

> Properly formed eyes are a mark of quality. Except when I asked someone who makes cheese in Switzerland, they told me almost the opposite (and mostly that they export the junk cheese to the US and keep the good stuff). As an aside, what are the odds this article was written by AI? It has that feel (minus random bolding and bullet points).

Don’t trust everything people tell you

Re: Why does Swiss cheese have holes?

#115

Post by elzbardico »

pazimzadeh wrote: post #104
rootusrootus wrote: post #70

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I don't know what to make of that statement. It is arrogant, at least. Are you trashing just the 340 million people in the US with this comment, or everybody not-Swiss?

Most Americans aren’t exposed to enough quality foods of certain types at a young age to develop the taste for them. For example, most Americans think Hershey’s is what chocolate is supposed to taste like, because they grew up with it. Same with the mushy Chorleywood processed bread and most American “cheese”

I hate Hershey’s with passion.

Re: Why does Swiss cheese have holes?

#116

Post by _2d30 »

sowbug wrote: post #94
_2d30 wrote: post #53

Earlier quoted context omitted.

American cheese is just cheese with an emulsifier, sodium citrate, added that makes it so that it doesn’t break when melted. At most it adds a slight amount of acidity and makes for a very attractive melting property. There’s not really anything disgusting about it for most people because most people find its melting properties to be a positive. Hating American cheese is an affect people adopt for the same reason peo…

It's very easy to make American cheese at home, and it happens to make the very best macaroni and cheese. As you say, mix some other cheese with sodium citrate dissolved in water. Cheddar works great. You'll get a nacho-sauce-like goop that you can pour onto your pasta (cavatappi or fusilli are best). Add in a caramelized onion and you'll never want to eat boxed mac & cheese again.

Yes.

A good way to think about American Cheese is to consider if instead of it being a mass produced, highly available product, it was made by Thomas Keller and served in a dish at The French Laundry. Then we would call it “molecular gastronomy” and it would be a nice littler touch to some dish.

Re: Why does Swiss cheese have holes?

#118

Post by plorkyeran »

murukesh_s wrote: post #97
Insanity wrote: post #89

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Honest question.. where? Most bread seems to be high in additives and promoted as a “healthy food”, like additional vitamines etc. And even when buying natural bread without these added “benefits”, it often has high levels of sodium (up to like 200mg per slice). Bread is one of the easiest, most plain things to make, yet finding high quality bread isn’t straightforward in the States. But I do really want to know whic…

Wondering why someone did not solve the problem already? Of all the countries in the world US is brimming with entrepreneurs who want to "solve" a consumer problem, and with modern population I assume there is enough demand on fresh/healthier products - why on earth someone wouldn't try to fix it there?

Solving the problem of european tourists being unable to figure out that they have to walk to the bakery section of the supermarket rather than the shelf-stable bread-like products section if they want something they consider bread does not sound like much of a business opportunity.

Re: Why does Swiss cheese have holes?

#119

Post by tribaal »

rootusrootus wrote: post #32
shevy-java wrote: post #20

Because the damn swiss folks really want to sell more cheese, without actually producing more cheese! So the proper way is to cut half the cheese out, say that holes are NECESSARY and IMPORTANT - and then sell twice as much as before. They are a genius people.

Fun fact - in Switzerland the holes are not permitted. Bonus fact - Switzerland imports more cheese than it exports.

This is bullshit, Emmentaler has holes here as well.

Source: am Swiss, live in Emmental

Re: Why does Swiss cheese have holes?

#120

Post by elzbardico »

JumpCrisscross wrote: post #67
tomnipotent wrote: post #61

Earlier quoted context omitted.

My favorite is that we don't have bakeries or endless varieties of fresh bread.

Americans are richer per capita than Europeans. Particularly when it comes to disposable purchasing power in a foreign country. A lot of European stereotypes about America are filtered through both tourist traps and cost constraints. (For a similar effect in respect of Europe, see the median Russian tourist summarizing Western Europe.)

Switzerland and Norway usually have a higher per capita gdp than the US. Most Western European countries are not so dramatically behind the US. But on the other hand, European countries have far less income inequality than the US, and less poverty. Then, not everything is about money. Culture matters a lot when it comes to food.
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