Why does Swiss Cheese have holes?

Question

I've always enjoyed eating cheese. Just getting that out of the way. I've never quite figured out why Swiss Cheese has holes! I mean, I can understand different shapes like round, square, triangular - though I can't quite fathom why swiss has holes, how they get there, etc

score 24 · Accepted Answer · edited Sep 11 '14 at 14:25

24

Those are called "Eyes" by cheese makers. The appear when bacteria convert lactic acid into propionic acid and carbon dioxide, or metabolise citrate.

These bacteria occur in dairy products, though they can also be added to the curd to get the characteristic eyes. See for example Propionibacterium freudenreichii on Wikipedia.

edited Sep 11 '14 at 14:25

Rob

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answered Dec 11 '10 at 01:56

Stefano Palazzo

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score 6 · Answer 2 · edited Dec 12 '10 at 08:32

6

I don't know where this myth come from but there are no holes (or really tiny ones) in the majority of Swiss cheese:

Most famous ones :

Gruyère
Vacherin
Emmental (the only one with holes)
Tilsit
Appenzeller

edited Dec 12 '10 at 08:32

hobodave

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answered Dec 11 '10 at 15:14

Kami

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Why does Swiss Cheese have holes?

2 Answers2