Cheese "Emmental" - the king of cheeses
Cheese "Emmental" - the king of cheeses
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The hallmark of Emmental cheese is its 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. In alpine meadows, 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 he althy diet

emmental cheese
emmental cheese

Almost all cheeses in Switzerland are made from fresh milk, so they are consideredproducts of beauty, he alth and harmony. Emmental cheese is called the king of cheeses. It is also prepared 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 cheese-making center - Bern.

Calorie 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

emmental cheese photo
emmental cheese photo

Fresh milk is used to produce the famous cheese product. 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. Very pretty and appetizingEmmental cheese. The photo below shows this.

What can replace Emmental cheese

substitute for emmental cheese
substitute for emmental cheese

Swiss hard cheese "Emmental" 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. Potatoes, olives, gherkins are often added to the dish, but this is not the same at all …

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