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Why does Swiss cheese have holes?

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Re: Why does Swiss cheese have holes?

#51

Post by selectodude »

maxerickson wrote: post #50
gerdesj wrote: post #41

Earlier quoted context omitted.

There are largely three types of cheese in the US: Swiss, American and Cheddar. I live near to Cheddar (Somerset, UK) but I'm not going to get too outraged. All countries, without exception, do something unpleasant to an ingredient or dish that the rest of the world will cry foul over. It is the way of things.

Did you form this picture of US cheese after visiting a hot dog cart?

Few things are more popular among Europeans than making up ignorant nonsense about how dumb and backwards Americans are.

Re: Why does Swiss cheese have holes?

#52

Post by JumpCrisscross »

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).

> they told me almost the opposite

For Emmantaler? Or cheese in general?

Re: Why does Swiss cheese have holes?

#53

Post by _2d30 »

dylan604 wrote: post #36
NoPicklez wrote: post #33

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Well of course not, but at some point it became an icon. Similar to eating a Danish pastry, like the Danish only made one type of pastry... Of course cheese with holes in it isn't the only type of cheese they make

I'd rather be known for Swiss cheese than American cheese. At least Swiss is actually cheese and not a cheese product. American cheese is nasty. It baffles me people not only eat it, but also like it

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 people adopt an affect of hating mayo: certain cultural elements tell them to.

Re: Why does Swiss cheese have holes?

#54

Post by deadbolt »

ofalkaed wrote: post #5
gus_massa wrote: post #3

But ... why only a few big holes? Sometimes "fresh cheese" develop a lot of small holes (and a strong flavor), but no big holes. Why big holes?

Baby Swiss and Lacey Swiss are small hole varieties.

I don't believe Baby Swiss is actually a variety of Swiss (Emmental) cheese, rather than a completely different cheese. IIRC Baby Swiss was invented in America and uses a different process.

I am not familiar with Lacey Swiss so no opinion on that one.

Re: Why does Swiss cheese have holes?

#55

Post by JumpCrisscross »

rootusrootus wrote: post #31
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).

Why on Earth would they intentionally export only their garbage cheese? Then the world will only know them for that. The holes in modern Emmental cheese are created intentionally. In Switzerland the additive used to create them is forbidden. [0] [0] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Emmental_cheese#Natural_holes_...

> Why on Earth would they intentionally export only their garbage cheese?

This usually happens when one population is discerning and the other is not.

Re: Why does Swiss cheese have holes?

#56

Post by 542458 »

dylan604 wrote: post #36
NoPicklez wrote: post #33

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Well of course not, but at some point it became an icon. Similar to eating a Danish pastry, like the Danish only made one type of pastry... Of course cheese with holes in it isn't the only type of cheese they make

I'd rather be known for Swiss cheese than American cheese. At least Swiss is actually cheese and not a cheese product. American cheese is nasty. It baffles me people not only eat it, but also like it

Not all American cheese is “cheese product”. American cheese is, broadly speaking, “normal” cheese blended with emulsifiers and additives. The deli-style ones have minimal additives and are still legally real cheese.

Re: Why does Swiss cheese have holes?

#57

Post by tomnipotent »

gerdesj wrote: post #41
dylan604 wrote: post #36

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I'd rather be known for Swiss cheese than American cheese. At least Swiss is actually cheese and not a cheese product. American cheese is nasty. It baffles me people not only eat it, but also like it

There are largely three types of cheese in the US: Swiss, American and Cheddar. I live near to Cheddar (Somerset, UK) but I'm not going to get too outraged. All countries, without exception, do something unpleasant to an ingredient or dish that the rest of the world will cry foul over. It is the way of things.

Processed cheese is ~20% of the US market, and Swiss cheese is less than 3%. Mozzarella by itself is something like 30%.

Re: Why does Swiss cheese have holes?

#58

Post by JumpCrisscross »

jahbrewski wrote: post #9
kleiba wrote: post #2

The term "Swiss cheese" is a constant source of amusement for people from Europe... you know, like, there is only one type of cheese made in Switzerland...

Call me naive, but honestly never made the connection between swiss cheese and Switzerland.

> honestly never made the connection between swiss cheese and Switzerland

Swiss cheese usually refers to Emmentaler. It comes from the Emme Valley, in Bern canton. It’s delicious and one of the OG three of Depression-era fondue. (Gruyère and Appenzeller. Vacherin can come too.)

It’s called Swiss cheese because Wisconsin has a sizable 19th century ethnically Swiss diaspora. (Wisconsin also has a diaspora from Parma. It’s suspected the soft cheese they make is closer to what Parmesan was before WWII than Parmigiano Reggiano, though I personally find the latter tastier.)

Re: Why does Swiss cheese have holes?

#59

Post by electroglyph »

gerdesj wrote: post #41
dylan604 wrote: post #36

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I'd rather be known for Swiss cheese than American cheese. At least Swiss is actually cheese and not a cheese product. American cheese is nasty. It baffles me people not only eat it, but also like it

There are largely three types of cheese in the US: Swiss, American and Cheddar. I live near to Cheddar (Somerset, UK) but I'm not going to get too outraged. All countries, without exception, do something unpleasant to an ingredient or dish that the rest of the world will cry foul over. It is the way of things.

hey, you forgot #4 and #5: queso fresco and cotija in the southwest. we also import and make plenty of other good cheeses =)

Re: Why does Swiss cheese have holes?

#60

Post by eru »

helicone wrote: post #34
rootusrootus wrote: post #31

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Why on Earth would they intentionally export only their garbage cheese? Then the world will only know them for that. The holes in modern Emmental cheese are created intentionally. In Switzerland the additive used to create them is forbidden. [0] [0] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Emmental_cheese#Natural_holes_...

because their garbage cheese is still miles better than what other people make, and there's no cheese market large enough and rich enough to pay them what their top cheese is worth, so its worth more just to keep it for themselves

> because their garbage cheese is still miles better than what other people make, [...]

Some other people, maybe. But not all other people.

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