What's the first thing, that comes to mind of when you think of Switzerland? Maybe a high standard of living, watches, chocolate, banks and of course cheese might pop up.
Swiss cheeses don't seem to need much introduction - they're kind of the country's business card. Here are the most popular Swiss cheeses, which everyone needs to try:
Emmental - This is certainly the most popular Swiss dairy product. The cheese is covered with holes and has a characteristic yellow color.
The product ferments for several months before becoming edible. Between 700 and 900 liters of milk are needed to make just one whole cheese, about 70 kilograms.
Tête de Moine or "monk's head" is a semi-hard and aged cheese, meaning that the the dairy product matures between 3 and 4 months.
An interesting fact about this cheese is that it is not cut with an ordinary knife - it is necessary to scrape it with a special knife, which is called Girolle. When served this way, the cheese can be combined with any salads, bread, etc.
Gruyère - this cheese must mature for at least half a year in special cellars, where the temperature is no less than 11 and not more than 14 degrees and the humidity is up to 90%.
Gruyere is very suitable for fondue preparation - the dairy product is made from high quality unpasteurized cow's milk. To make one kilogram of this Swiss cheese, 12 liters of milk are needed.
Appenzeller is a cheese that is produced under strict conditions - the interesting thing about this cheese is that it is placed in a special brine, in which there are spices. There are many varieties, but its classic version should mature for three months.
Sbrinz is a cow's cheese that is widely used in the Swiss cuisine - very often as a substitute for Parmesan. The dairy product has a golden crust and has a hard texture - a special knife is used to grate it.
This cheese is made only with cow's milk and can continue to mature for up to three years and once it is ready it can be used to make various pasta sauces.
