Everyone abroad knows you, and you are refreshingly uncomplicated. Mild at first, but give it time and you show real character.
Cheese profile
- MildBold
- SoftFirm
- HomebodyExplorer
- SoloFondue crowd
- ClassicWild
The real cheese facts
- Origin
- Emme valley, canton of Bern, about 110 village dairies
- Milk
- Raw milk from cows fed grass and hay, no silage
- Type
- Hard cheese, wheels of 75 to 120 kg
- Ripening
- Classic from 4 months, Réserve from 8, cave-aged from 12
- Best for
- Bread, snacks, warm dishes
Source: cheesesfromswitzerland.com · Last checked 28.10.2026
Taste and texture
Classic Emmentaler is mild and nutty and gets along with almost anything. With more time it changes a lot: Réserve turns properly fruity, and the cave-aged versions are full and strong. The holes form while it ripens and range from cherry to walnut size.
How to eat it
Slices on bread, cubes for the apéro, or melted into warm dishes. If you only know the mild kind from the supermarket, try a piece of cave-aged Emmentaler AOP once. It tastes like a different cheese.
Did you know?
One wheel weighs 75 to 120 kilos and measures 80 centimetres to a metre across. Nobody carries one home on the bus. It takes about 12 litres of milk to make a single kilo, and people in the Emme valley have been making it since the 13th century.
Emmentaler or Gruyère?
The quickest test is the holes: Emmentaler has them, Gruyère has few or none. Both are hard cheeses made from raw milk. Emmentaler wheels are much bigger, 75 to 120 kg against 25 to 45 kg for Gruyère. Classic Emmentaler is mild and nutty after four months, while Gruyère ripens for at least five and tastes spicier.
More about Le Gruyère AOP →How to keep it
Wrap it in cheese paper or waxed paper rather than cling film, so it can breathe, and keep it in the vegetable drawer of the fridge. Take it out about half an hour before you eat it.
Questions about Emmentaler AOP
Why does Emmentaler have holes?
While the cheese ripens, bacteria produce gas that collects in small pockets. In Emmentaler AOP the holes end up between cherry and walnut size.
Is Emmentaler AOP made from raw milk?
Yes, from fresh untreated milk of cows that eat grass and hay. Silage, additives and genetically modified ingredients are not allowed.
What does Réserve mean?
Réserve has ripened for at least eight months, twice as long as Classic. It tastes clearly fruitier.