Cheese Manufacturing between Handicraft Tradition and High Tech

Swiss cheese is synonymous to best quality. World renowned are cheeses such as Emmentaler, Gruyère, or Raclette Cheese. Cheese production is an art in its own. Each phase of the production process influences the taste of the end product. It is said within the dairy industry syndicate that Swiss cheeses’ recipe for success is fresh milk, silo free milk and careful preparation.

It is not so long ago that the Alp cheese maker measured the temperature in the cheese boiler (Käsekessi) with his elbow. In the meantime high tech has also been introduced as an assistant in the cheese making industry. Cheese making is a solid craft and requires a three year apprenticeship. The cheese maker is now called a milk technician. Cheese making follows a basic recipe with many variations.

Ten Liters of Milk for One Kilo of Cheese

In the first phase the milk is heated in a copper pot under continuous stirring until it reaches 32° C and then the coagulant (“Lab”) and lactic acid bacteria is added. Half an hour later the milk has curdled. The mass is cut with a cheese harp, e.g. a wire rake. This separates the solid part, cheese corns, from the watery part, the so called whey. After gently re-heating this brew the sifted seed corns are deposited into a wooden mould and gently pressed.

The Secret of Carbon Dioxide

Finally, the young cheese loaves are taken to the maturation cellar where, at constant temperature and high humidity (over 90%) they are regularly basted with brine. The temperatures depend on the type of cheese that is being stored. Emmentaler for example matures at 20 - 23°C. This relatively high temperature fosters carbon dioxide production which is responsible for the famous holes. Depending on the type of cheese, the loaves remain in the maturation cellar for a few months or even years before being sold. Per head and year approximately 20 kg cheese are consumed in Switzerland. 2005, the Swiss Confederation registered record production short of 168,000 tons.

Gold Medal at the World Championship in the USA

At the World Championship Cheese Contest in Madison (Wisconsin) the Swiss Team was awarded with two gold, two silver and two bronze medals. For the first time a Swiss became the overall winner. Christian Wüthrich was crowned World Champion in the category Emmentaler. He is a native of Rüderswil, a small town in the Emmental (valley of the Emme) only 35 km away from Schleuniger headquarters.

At the World Championships which have been held for fifty years, 1792 cheeses from 18 countries competed against each other. The championship loaves were then auctioned in the USA in aid of cheese making apprenticeships. The 90 kg World Champion Emmentaler was sold for about 6,500 Swiss Francs.

The Peak of Coziness

Do you look forward to a sociable, cheerful evening and a tasty fondue with your friends? Let loose your creativity. A fondue can be varied to ones heart content by adding morels, tomatoes or champagne.

Those visitors that are interested in an on the spot cheese making experience can visit the Exhibit Cheese Dairies (Schaukäserei) where the famous Swiss cheeses are produced.

The Emmentaler Cheese Dairy can be visited individually or in guided tours. From 9 - 11 a.m. and from 2 - 4 p.m. it is of special interest as you can watch the cheese production.

Opening hours:
Daily Mo - Sa: 9 a.m. - 6.30 p.m.
Su & Public Holidays: 9 a.m. - 5 p.m.

Low Season:
End of October to mid-December reduced opening hours:
Su - Thu: 9 a.m. - 6.30 p.m.
Fr, Sa & Public Holidays: 9 a.m. - 5 p.m.