When it comes to cheese, perhaps no type is more instantly recognizable than Swiss cheese. Swiss cheese is known for its many tell-tale holes, or eyes, so how does Swiss cheese get its holes? Let’s find out the answer to this Swiss cheese filled riddle – and maybe at the end you’ll be as enlightened as a hunk of Emmenthaler!
The (C)hole Story
The holes that gracefully punctuate Swiss cheese certainly make it stand-out from other types of cheese, but what are the facts behind this holey, cheesy phenomenon?
The answer lies in the bacteria used to produce the cheese. When factor the bacteria Propionibacter shermani into the milking process, the cheese ferments, producing carbon dioxide molecules, which create the famous bubbles. The Propionibacter eats lactic acid and, as it does so, it releases carbon dioxide, thus the bubble-i-fication of Swiss cheese. Soon, the bubbles become large enough to cause the eyes to form and voila – Swiss cheese!
No Pun-Intended Fun
Of course, the holes in Swiss cheese don’t get their unique shape overnight. Most baby Swiss cheese has microscopic holes, gradually growing into characteristic eyes upon ripening or maturing. Currently, the ratio of holes to cheese is regulated by the Swiss Cheese Union. And that interesting factoid brings us to the end of this Swiss cheese filled investigation.
So, the next time someone asks: ‘how does Swiss cheese get its holes?’, you can impress them with your knowledge and make a few cheesy puns that they will never forget!
To save you memorizing all that technical stuff, remember this: Swiss cheese owes its holeyness to the bacterial recombinant of flavoring it, resulting in the formation of carbon dioxide bubbles and thus, its delicious eyes. The well-known holes are a result of the fermentation cycle that has been perfected over centuries.
In the end, Swiss cheese’s holes are undeniably linked to its characteristic taste and appearance and it continues to bring joy (or a mild aversion) to cheese lovers near and far.