Swiss Emmental Cheese

SwissEmmental is an unpasteurized partially skimmed cow's milk cheese that produced in both France and Switzerland. Both of these cheeses are world renowned for their excellent flavor and the iconic holes in their paste. The holes are created by bacteria that give off carbon dioxide gas which expands during the aging process forming pockets within the paste.

Details: Swiss Emmental is made in the Emme River valley in the Canton of Bern and is known as an alpine style cheese.  Animal rennet is used to form the curds which are heated to create the desired texture. After draining, the curds are manually pressed to remove any remaining water and whey. They are then placed in molds and aged for at least six months. The cheeses that are produced are massive with weights ranging between 175lbs to 220lbs and are about 9 inches thick. The rind will be flat and smooth and  have a beige or slight yellow color and the red Swizerland trademark stamped on its top.Swiss Emmental has a low salt content and no salt is added to the curds during production. Any saltiness that may be noticed is produced by the brine bath which helps to form the rind. The interior paste will be a pale yellow and have random and various sized holes throughout. The flavor of Swiss Emmental expands on the palate and will reveal a nice nutty flavor and mild bite on the finish.

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Details: French Emmental is produced in the Jura mountains and is also considered an alpine style cheese. It is made  with partially skimmed raw cow's milk. The methods of production for French and Swiss Emmental are identical the main difference is that French Emmental has varying ages and has a more complex flavor The young age is mild and is best for fondue, mid-aged has more complex flavor and the extra aged version has a full bodied nutty flavor and works well melted over gratins or potatoes and is an excellent table cheese.  Authentic French Emmental will be stamped with "Emmental Francais Grand Cru on its rind but it is much less common in the United States than its Swiss sister.


Overall Emmental is a great cheese when thinly sliced and used on sandwiches or shaved over salads. It also goes well with most fruits, meats and crusty breads. It is often the major cheese used in fondue.

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When shopping for Emmental do not purchase any that are significantly weeping its butterfat or that has any mold on the rind or the interior paste. Emmental dries out fast when sliced thin so try to avoid any that has been pre-sliced and left to sit out. It is best to keep it in the vegetable bin of the refrigerator wrapped tightly in plastic wrap. Try to find  authentic Emmental and stay away from the banal pasteurized domestic versions like and other pasteurized imposters. Keep in mind that authentic Emmental is not sold by brand names.

Wine Paring: Light fruity reds like Beaujolais and Rhone reds or spicy whites like any Alsace and dry Vouray for French Emmental.

Swiss Emmental pairs well with light fruity reds like French Bandolor big reds like Saint-Joseph and light fruity whites like Swiss Fendant or Muscadet.

Garrotxa: A Superb Goat Cheese From Spain

Garrotxa  (ga-ROW-sha) is an exceptional goat cheese from the Catalonian region of Spain. Garrotxa is produced by using pasteurized milk from free range goat herds that feed on the local grasses and herbs. It is normally aged for three weeks but can be aged up to seven weeks. Since it is pasteurized there are no United States importing restrictions on it, however, it is somewhat difficult to find in the US. It should be able to be purchased from  a good cheese shop that carries a wide variety of Spanish cheeses or check out Whole Foods or Wegmans markets.

Details and Flavor: Garrotxa is a small cheese, about 2lbs, with a very thin  gray moldy micro-fiber like inedible rind that should be removed. The interior has white paste that is somewhat moist, and dense but not hard, older versions will be drier. The flavor is mild and not overtly goaty but does possess  nice herb flavors that represent Thyme and Rosemary with a nutty overtone. Garrotxa melts well so you can experiment with it in your recipes. Try spreading some Spanish quince paste (membrillo) or honey on a slice of Garrotxa as an afternoon snack.

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Notes: When shopping for Garrotxa do not purchase any that are cracked or have any mold on the INTERIOR  paste. Garrotxa will stay fresh once it is cut for about two weeks if kept alone wrapped in paper and covered with tin foil in a vegetable bin of the refrigerator. Garottax can be served with crusty bread, cured meats, sweet fruits and soft nuts. It is also a great table cheese eaten by itself, saved over salads or melted over potatoes or other vegetables.

Wine Pairings: Spanish red wines like Rioja or white wines like Pinot Gris or Chardonnay

Italian Parmesan Cheese

Parmesan is one of the world's best known cheeses and is officially known as Parmigiano Reggiano cheese. I will using it's more common name throughout this discussion.  Parmesan production dates back to the 13th century when it was made by Benedectine and Cistercian monks. Thankfully modern methods of cheese production have not altered this traditional hand crafted masterpiece and it is considered, by most cheese experts, to be the world's best cheese. Parmesan is DOP certified and can only be produced in the small area bordered by the provinces of Bologna, Mantua, Modena, Parma and Reggio Emilia. Therefore the total production is moderate in relative terms but is of an extraordinarily high quality and consistency. The wheels that are produced usually weigh in at 80lbs.

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 The Santa Rita Co-op Dairy, which is located near Modena, produces only DOP Certified Organic Parmesan cheese. The following description of production relates to this particular Dairy. There are eight family farms incorporated into the Santa Rita Dairy Co-op. These farms are in the towns of Pompenno and Selva which are located in the Modena Appennini mountains. The altitude here varies from 2000 feet to 2400 feet and provides warm days, cool nights and lush farmland for grazing cows and goats. Parmigiano Reggiano is know also as a hard mountain style cheese. The Santa Rita Co-op was certified Organic 10 years ago and has been exclusively producing high quality hand crafted organic Parmesan cheese. The Co-op produces ten 80 pound wheels of organic cheese per day that are marked with the Consorzio de Parmigiano-Reggiano registration number 2895, this number identifies and certifies the producer. All of the cows in the co-op are fed only certified Organic grass and hay that is grown on the eight individual farms. The processing plant is centrally located near all of the farms so the milk does not  travel long distances to be processed. All of these factors contribute to a superior final product.

Details:  Each wheel of Parmesan is made from two separate milkings. The evening milking is poured into large containers and allowed to rest. In the morning the cream that has risen to the top is skimmed off and the remaining milk is then combined with the morning milk and allowed to form curds. This combination of milk is then heated at 90 degrees and the whey is separated out by a vigorous turning action. The remaining curds are then reheated and then allowed to rest and cool for 30 minutes. Next the curds are placed in cloth bags to cool and drain. The cooled curds are then placed in the traditionally shaped wooden molds and pressed to expel any leftover whey and to form the cheese. The pressed cheeses are then immersed in a brine bath for 21 days. The brine bath allows the outer rind to form and harden and starts the aging process. The new cheeses are then rinsed and cleaned and then allowed to age for 30 months in climate controlled "warehouses". This long aging process allows the cheese to fully develop its legendary flavor.The finished cheese will have a hard outer rind that is considered inedible, however it can be cut up and added to soups or broths to add extra body and flavor to them. Once cut open the interior will have a straw color that is hard and somewhat flinty. 

 Flavor: An aged Parmesan cheese will have a mild aroma but an extraordinary full and complex flavor. Subtle flavors such as the spices nutmeg and ginger, a mild salty hint, and a nutty flavor like walnuts, can be noted. Parmesan is considered to be a "grana" or granular cheese meaning that when grated it will produce fines grains. Parmesan is normally thought of and used for grating over pasta dishes but it is also a great table cheese that when well aged will melt in your mouth and allow its full flavor to expand. In Italy it is often served at the beginning of a main meal with figs, ripe melon or grapes. As an antipasto try it with prosciutto drizzled with extra virgin olive oil, it also works well sliced in garden or vegetable salads. The fat content of Parmigiano is quite low at about 28% to 32%.

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When shopping for Parmesan look for large portions of the whole wheel and ask that your piece be cut from there. Try to avoid Parmesan that is pre-cut into smaller pieces and wrapped in plastic wrap. Although it is hard to ruin this cheese it is always better to get the freshest piece possible. However if allowed to dry out it will become rock hard and will have little or no flavor. Ask for a sample if you are unsure of its quality. Do not grate this cheese and then store it in the refrigerator because it will rapidly lose its flavor, therefore you should only grate what you know you will use. Store your larger pieces in the refrigerator wrapped in a damp piece of cheese cloth and aluminum foil. Any mold that may form can be scrapped off without any damage to the rest of the cheese. You can rub a little olive oil on the exposed faces of the cut cheese to inhibit the formation of mold on the surface of the cheese itself. Any mold that may form will only be on the oil and can simply be rubbed or washed off.

Substitutes for Parmesan cheese: In reality there is no true substitute for true Italian Parmesan cheese. However, if you are looking for acceptable alternatives try Grana Padano which is less expensive and somewhat less flavorful or
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Wine parings: Chianti Reserva, Brunello, Barolo, Barbaresco, Salice Salentino, Valpolicella or with a dessert wine like Moscato or Vin Santo.