I was surprised to find that I still have not written an article about Emmental - an interesting and obviously noteworthy Swiss / French cheese, which is also quite often found on sale in Russia. Well, I hasten to correct this omission. And I will say right away that the Russian "Emmental" is very different from the Swiss original - about the same as the Russian "Maasdam" is different from the real Dutch one. In other words, it is better to buy Emmental, produced either in Switzerland or in France.
Some theory and history
Emmental cheese is made from both raw cow's milk; in our time, however, there may be options ("parodies" of the real Emmental) and from pasteurized milk. The aging time (ripening) can be either 2-3 months or a year and a half.
The name of this cheese comes from the words Emme (the name of a valley in the canton of Bern) and tal (actually "valley" in German). The birthplace of Emmental, presumably, is precisely this valley, Emme Valley. Subsequently, however, it began to be made in other parts of Switzerland, as well as in France and in a number of other countries, including Germany, the Netherlands, Finland and even Russia.
However, in Switzerland itself, Emmental (also called Emmentaler) is a partially protected origin cheese. There is the Emmentaler Switzerland AOC appellation (since 2000, minimum 4 months aging) and, in addition, there is the protected appellation Emmentaler Switzerland Premier Cru, which is used only for Emmental that has been aged for at least 14 months. To designate Emmental, aged for 8-13 months, use the definition of reserve.
The classic composition of Emmental cheese includes raw (=unpasteurized) cow's milk, table salt, bacterial starter, milk-clotting enzyme (this is the composition of Emmental brands EntreMont and Emmi). Some manufacturers (like President) add a health-safe calcium chloride hardener. The energy value of Emmentaler can range from 360 to 400 kcal/100 grams. Fat content varies between 28-31%, the mass fraction of fat in dry matter is usually 45%.
Personal impressions
The color of Emmental is light yellow, sometimes with a creamy tint; aged Emmental can have a very rich color. There is a certain number of eye holes in the cheese mass (sometimes there are quite a lot of them, and sometimes there are few), the size of these holes can vary from small to large. Traditionally, it was thought that less holes in the Emmental, the better and better the cheese. The consistency is very dense, but not always solid; not crumbling.
The smell can be quite intense, but not annoying; with sour milk and light spicy notes. The taste is usually slightly sweet, rich, with sour-milk, nutty, spicy and "fruity" notes; it is not sharp and sharp, although it can be somewhat spicy. The aftertaste is quite long and expressive. Salinity is moderate, usually even below average.
As for brands, I like Emmental from EntreMont more than from President: in my opinion, it has a richer and more interesting taste and aroma. In addition, Emmental from the Swiss brand Emmi is good, but it is more expensive.
If you haven't tried Emmental yet, I recommend giving it a try. This is a very versatile cheese, it will appeal to many.
Where to buy and how much
Emmental cheese is sold in many supermarkets and hypermarkets. At Perekrestok, you can buy a 220-gram Emmental package from EntreMont for 145 rubles. In addition, Perekrestki sells Swiss well-aged Emmental from Margot Fromages, it costs about 950 rubles per kilogram.
In the Seventh Continent, you can buy Emmental brand President, the price is about 850 rubles per kilogram (when buying by weight, factory-packed 200-gram pieces cost more than 250 rubles apiece). In Utkonos there is a Swiss Emmental from the Emmi brand, it is expensive - 260 rubles / 200 grams. In Magnet and Dixie, French and even more so Swiss Emmental is not for sale.
Innings
As with any more or less aged cheese, Emmental is best taken out of the refrigerator in advance (but sliced just before serving). This is a very versatile cheese: it is good for sandwiches, for a cheese plate, for eating in its pure form (as a snack), in combination with meats; it is added to hot dishes and salads, pizza. In addition, it is a traditionally used fondue cheese.
Emmentaler goes well with not very complex dry red wines, in particular, from Syrah / Shiraz, Sangiovese grapes.
Articles about similar cheeses : (Switzerland), and (Russia).
Emmental (French Emmental) is the famous Swiss cheese, pale yellow in color with a strong dry rind, golden yellow or brownish, made from cow's milk.
Emmental is a cheese with large holes that result from the peculiarities of the technological process.
The holes in Emmental cheese are formed by the release of carbon dioxide by cheese bacteria.
Emmental cheese is good for appetizers and desserts, it is often used for salads, it is also good for baking, because it melts easily and quickly.
If you have the skills of home cheese making, you can easily make Emmental cheese at home.
Emmental cheese at home is very similar to store-bought cheese, if you follow the recipe exactly.
Emmental cheese recipe
Equipment for making Emmental cheese:
- saucepan 16l
- gauze
- mold for 4 kg head of cheese
- cheese press
Ingredients:
- 2 liters of milk
- 1/2 tsp thermophilic sourdough culture
- 1/2 tsp mesophilic starter culture
- 1/16 tsp propionic acid bacteria
- 2 tsp liquid natural rennet
- 1 tsp
- 18% brine, olive oil (for salting and rubbing the crust when ripe)
Note: If you are making cheese in two batches, then divide all the ingredients in half. Yield 10-11% of the volume of milk - 4-4.5 kg of cheese
How to make Emmental cheese at home:
Pour half the milk into a saucepan. Heat to 32°C and remove from heat.
Sprinkle 1/3 tsp on the surface of the milk. thermophilic starter, 1/4 tsp mesophilic starter and 1/32 tsp. propionic acid bacteria.
Let stand 3 minutes for the powders to absorb the moisture. With gentle slow movements, mix the entire volume of milk with a large slotted spoon or spoon. Cover with a lid and let stand 10 minutes.
Dissolve 1 tsp. calcium chloride solution in 50 ml of water. Dissolve 1 tsp. rennet in 50 ml of water.
Add calcium chloride solution and rennet to milk. Okay, but stir slowly. Cover and leave to ferment for 40 minutes.
Check the clot for a "clean compartment", if necessary, leave for another 10-15 minutes. Once a "clean separation" has been achieved, cut the curd with a knife or large whisk.
Cut and mix for 15 minutes until a pea-sized grain is reached.
With a large slotted spoon or a spoon with a long handle, stir the cheese mass for 30 minutes, maintaining the temperature of the mass at 30 ° C.
Put the pan on the fire and, stirring constantly, bring the temperature of the cheese mass to 45 ° C. The heating process should be long - 30 minutes. Do not heat the mass too quickly!
Remove the saucepan from the heat and continue to slowly stir the mass for another 30 minutes. Check the consistency - pick up the cheese grain in your hand and squeeze it. The cheese grain should stick together, but also, if you press a little again, it disintegrates.
Stop stirring, let the mass stand for 5 minutes so that the cheese grain settles to the bottom. Drain the whey through the mold to keep it warm. Line the mold with gauze. Transfer the cheese grain to the mold.
Cover with a lid and wrap to keep warm. You can also put the mold in a saucepan and in the oven and keep the temperature there at 30 ° C.
If you are making Emmental cheese in two batches, then repeat the whole process with the other half of the milk.
Transfer the cheese grain of the second batch into a mold and mix everything together well so that there is no border between the layers.
Cover the cheese mass in the mold with the ends of the gauze, trying to avoid wrinkles on the gauze. If you are using micro-perforated forms, then you do not need gauze. Put the lid on top.
Put the mold under the press and press for 10 minutes with a weight of 8 kg. Remove the cheese from the mold and remove the gauze.
Re-wrap the cheese in cheesecloth, trying to make as few wrinkles as possible. Put the cheese back into the mold, put it under the press. Press with a weight of 15 kg for 12-15 hours at room temperature.
Take the cheese out of the mold, remove the gauze, put in brine and salt for 24 hours at a temperature of 12°C. Turn the cheese over in the brine and let it marinate again for 24 hours at 12°C.
Remove the cheese from the brine and dry it on a drainage mat for 2 days at room temperature so that the crust is completely dry. During drying, periodically turn the cheese so that it dries evenly on all sides.
Put the cheese to ripen in a room (or a special refrigerator) with a temperature of 10-12 ° C and 85% humidity.
Leave to ripen under these conditions for 2 weeks. Every day, the cheese must be turned over and wiped (1 tablespoon of salt per 1 liter of water).
After you have rubbed the cheese with the brine, you need to wipe it with a towel to remove excess moisture. This process contributes to the formation of the correct hard crust.
Then the cheese must be put to ripen for 1 month in a room with a temperature of 18-20 ° C and 85% humidity.
During this period, its famous eyes develop in the cheese. The head of the cheese swells and becomes rounded.
For uniform development of the eyes, turn the cheese over every 2-3 days and wipe with the same brine. Do not allow the temperature to rise above 20°C.
A month later, the cheese must be placed again in a room with a temperature of 10-12 ° C, where the cheese must ripen for at least 3 months. Humidity should be around 85%, with drier air the crust and the deep layer underneath will dry out, and if the humidity is above 85% then excessive mold may develop.
If mold appears, brush the cheese with a solution of salt and vinegar. To make a solution for rubbing cheese against mold, dissolve 1 tablespoon of salt in 125 ml of 3% vinegar.
You can also brush the crust with olive oil periodically to keep it from drying out. Turn cheese once a week. Emmental cheese at home can ripen up to 1 year.
The visiting card of Emmental cheese is large holes - "eyes" and an incomparable soft sweetish taste. Emmental cheese is very popular. People call it Swiss. And all because it is the basis of the Swiss national dish - cheese fondue.
Switzerland is the birthplace of cheese
Switzerland is considered the most “prosperous” country for cheeses. You can always see a herd of cows, which have long become an unspoken symbol of the country. Cattle really enjoy living in Switzerland. Green pastures, stretching for several kilometers, serve as an ideal food for herbivores. As you know, the quality of cheese directly depends on its main component - milk. How can cows, daily fed with natural meadow grass, give bad milk? Of course not! Therefore cheese and dairy products produced in Switzerland are of high quality, incomparable taste and aroma. Emmental cheese is no exception.
Cheese product for a healthy diet
Almost all cheeses in Switzerland are made from fresh milk, so they are considered products of beauty, health and harmony. Cheese "Emmental" is called It is also made from fresh milk, which is given by Alpine cows, and then sent to the caves for aging. The finished cheese is "decorated" with large holes and has a sweet, nutty flavor. By the way, the dairy product got its name from the Emma River. In its valley is the European center of cheese making - Bern.
The calorie content of Emmental cheese is 380 kcal per 100 g of product. The quality of cheese can be determined by the shape of the holes and their "behavior". If the cheese product periodically "cries" - droplets of milk appear in its eyes - this indicates its highest quality. But today, “weeping” cheese can rarely be seen on store shelves. During the period of its delivery to the retail network, all drops dry up.
How Emmental cheese is made
For the production of the famous cheese product, fresh milk is used. It is heated to a temperature of +34 ° C and mixed with fermented milk. The resulting yogurt is then crushed into granules. Then the mass is heated again, large heads are formed from it, which are kept in brine for three days. Next, the cheese product is sent to the caves for aging. One month the cheese is in a damp cold room, after which it is transferred to a warm cellar. The maturation period of Emmental cheese is 2-2.5 months. At the end of this period, the product is again placed in a cold cave. The ripening period of this variety lasts for 15-20 months. Emmental cheese is very beautiful and appetizing. The photo below shows this.
What can replace Emmental cheese?
Hard Swiss Emmental cheese is used to prepare a variety of salads, desserts and second courses. It goes well with wine and fruit. Do not forget that Swiss cheese is the main ingredient in fondue. But not every refrigerator has Emmental cheese. How to replace the famous product? Some housewives recommend using Gouda, Mozzarella or Maasdam cheeses in these cases. But still, Emmental cheese in its classic version gives the cheese fondue a special rich taste and impeccable aroma. Today, Swiss fondue is considered an aristocratic dish. The original recipe for its preparation includes only Emmental cheese, wine, fresh bread. Today, in the preparation of fondue, these ingredients are replaced by cherry tincture, cheaper cheeses and various spices. Often potatoes, olives, gherkins are added to the dish, but this is not at all the same ...
Emmental is a national Swiss cheese made from cow's milk. Each cheese circle weighs about 75 kilograms (sometimes weighing 130 kg) and has a bright spicy-sweet taste.
Cheese has large holes that result from the peculiarities of the technological process. Cheese bacteria release carbon dioxide, which creates characteristic cavities.
What is Emmental cheese famous for besides its big holes? Without this cheese, a real one is unthinkable - a national dish that is traditionally cooked on an open fire.
Emmental is the cheese of the Alpine shepherds. It was they who came up with the original cheese recipe: milk is boiled in huge containers until clots form, and then mixed, laid out in cloth bags and pressed under large flat stones.
The cheese is kept under pressure for about 2.5 months, not counting the first month of ripening in a cool and humid room. If Emmental is awarded the status of Grand Cru, it means that it is made from raw cow's milk (at least 800 liters of milk is needed for one cheese circle) and matured in the cellar for a year and a half or more. Only such cheese bears the proud title of Emmental Grand Cru.
Emmental has a dense and elastic mass, and the yellowish crust is hard and exudes the aroma of freshly cut grass. Surprisingly, this cheese can be stored for years and even decades - it retains its taste for 150 years.
Where do the big holes in Emmental cheese come from?
Emmental cheese is characterized by large holes, where do they come from? The fact is that during the manufacture of the cheese mass, a starter is added that contains special colonies of microbes that can release carbon dioxide.
For ripening, the heads are stored in such conditions that the temperature in the room is 22-23 degrees. Under such a temperature regime, bacteria begin to multiply intensively, releasing carbon dioxide, which, passing through the thickness of the cheese head, forms “holes”. At the same time, the fermentation of the product takes place - it acquires certain properties: taste, texture, color.
Ripening takes from seven to twelve months. During this process, the heads are rubbed with brine and lubricated with vegetable oil. After full maturation, the cheese receives a familiar bright shell and is sent for sale.
Emmental is well preserved. In Switzerland, there are still legends about the found 120-year-old heads of this variety. Moreover, the found cheese was incredibly tasty due to the long exposure and its price went off scale. Finding a treasure in the form of a head of such cheese is a real success.
Substitute for Emmental cheese
Hard Swiss Emmental cheese is used to prepare a variety of salads, desserts and second courses. It goes well with wine and fruit.
Do not forget that Swiss cheese is the main ingredient in fondue. But not every refrigerator has Emmental cheese.
Emmental (in Latin Emmental) is a Swiss cheese made from cow's milk. Cheese heads of this variety weigh as much as 75 kilograms, and some reach even more - 100 kg! This cheese has a bright spicy-sweet taste. Of course, it is considered to be an exclusively Swiss product, since initially its preparation was deployed in the Bern region, the Emme Valley (hence the corresponding name). But in the modern world there are many manufacturers of Emmental, naturally differing in their names, such as:
- Emmentaler Switzerland (manufacturing country Switzerland),
- Emmental Francais Est-Central (manufacturing country France),
- Emmental de Savoie (prepared in Germany and Finland).
A characteristic feature of this variety are large holes. They are obtained as a result of a specific production process. There is a release of carbon dioxide by cheese bacteria, and that, in turn, creates these specific cavities.
Alpine shepherds were the first to prepare this culinary delight. They boiled milk in huge containers. After the formation of clots, the curd mass was transferred to bags and placed under the press - flat heavy stones. In general, the entire process of preparation and aging took 3.5 months. If you see that there is a Grand Cru prefix on the package, this indicates the use of raw milk in the preparation, and the ripening period is 1.5-2 years. This is an even more elite product: Emmental Grand Cru.
Emmental refers to hard cheeses, it has a dense mass, slightly elastic. The cheese head is covered with a bright yellow rind that smells like freshly cut grass. The shelf life of these products is impressive. They can be stored for a very long time - for decades, without losing their taste. With all the above advantages, this high-protein product has a fairly low fat content, which makes it affordable for bodybuilders and athletes on a strict diet. So we strongly recommend it to all bodybuilders and fitness models. Be sure to include it in your daily diet. And in addition to this, it has long been known that the emotional mood and training, or rather, its quality, directly depend on what we eat. The amazing taste and aroma of this food will charge you with positive for a long time, thereby inspiring new qualitative progress in training ...
Emmental cheese is part of the Swiss culinary tradition. Without it, it is simply unthinkable to cook one of the national dishes - Swiss fondue. For its preparation, they usually use: wine, cheese and a fondue pot or a fireproof container. This dish is served on the table along with a spirit lamp or a candle to maintain a constant fire. As spices, fondue is seasoned with nutmeg and garlic. Pieces of bread are pierced on long forks or wooden skewers and dipped into the cheese mass. This is a great dish for a company of several people.