What is the Emmental
L "emmental (also called emmental or emmentaler) is a hard Swiss cheese, made from cow's milk and characterized by the presence of large and numerous holes inside (more or less regular according to the type of processing).
Emmental takes its name from its area of origin (Emmental valley, in the canton of Bern - Central Alps); the Swiss one is marketed in three different types: sweet, seasoned and ripe.
Emmental is produced by processing cow's milk similar to that used for other alpine cheeses with cooked or semi-cooked paste, with the difference that it is also exposed to fermentation propionics responsible for the formation of translucent holes (the famous holes), which in the commercial emmental have a diameter of about 3-5cm.
Despite being a typical Swiss cheese, Emmental is currently produced and distributed all over the world under the common name of Swiss cheeese; curiously, the largest producer of emmental is Finland, which uses a mechanized and simplified process; obviously, the cheese with the best organoleptic and gustatory characteristics remains the Swiss emmental (which instead uses a traditional process).
Types of emmentals
Emmental is mainly available in 4 types, produced in different areas:
- Swiss Emmental: hard, elastic, bitter paste with marked holes. The seasoning varies from 8 to 10 months. The shapes are cylindrical and of considerable size (80-100kg). The crust is paraffinized at the end of processing. A qualitatively superior type is the "emmental d "alpage, distinguishable by the black crust.
- French Emmental: it is smaller than the Swiss one and mainly three subtypes are known, respectively: de Savoie (PGI), east-central (PGI) e grand cru.
- Bavarian Emmental or emmentaler: it is produced in Germany; it is similar to the previous ones but has a highly industrialized and qualitatively less valuable manufacturing process.
- Finnish Emmental: it is mainly intended for export and is very similar to the Bavarian one.
Hygienic aspects, conservation and gastronomy
From a hygienic point of view, the good maturation of Emmental makes it a microbiologically safe product; its maturation process determines the hardening of the pasta with a reduction in the quantity of water and parallel concentration of proteins, fats, mineral salts and vitamins. The conservation of the emmental is not complicated; it takes place in an optimal way by refrigeration at temperatures of about 10 ° C BUT it is still necessary that the package is well sealed (if exposed to the air, the cheese dries quickly and tends to become covered with mold) . It is always preferable to consume the emmental within 7 days of opening the package.
Nutritional values (per 100 g of edible portion)
In the kitchen, emmental lends itself to the preparation of Fondue and to the formulation of sauces and condiments based on mixed cheeses; used fresh, it enriches salads, appetizers and cold first courses. The optimal food-wine combination for emmental includes the use of aromatic white, rosé or sober red wines. Like many other cheeses, emmental also lends itself to the combination with honey, jams and compotes.
Nutritional characteristics
Emmental is a highly energetic milk derivative, rich in saturated fats and high biological value proteins; even the cholesterol intake should not be among the lowest. Therefore, the lipid profile of Emmental does NOT place it among the foods recommended in case of hypercholesterolemia. Furthermore, given the considerable caloric intake, frequent use is not recommended, ESPECIALLY in case of overweight.
NB. The reference values for saturated fatty acids and cholesterol are NOT shown in the table but their abundance can be assumed taking into account both the raw material used for processing and the profitability of the cheese itself (about twelve liters of milk for each kilogram of emmental ).
From the saline point of view, the "emmental provides" an excellent amount of calcium (essential in the growth phase and in the prevention of osteoporosis) and phosphorus (which must be supplied to a lesser extent than the previous one); the concentrations are also high. of added salt NB Sodium is not recommended in case of arterial hypertension.
As far as vitamins are concerned, emmental contains a good quantity of molecules of group B, among which riboflavin (vitamin B2) stands out; moreover, using a propionic fermentation, this cheese should boast a certain amount of cobalamin (Vit. B12), even if the research carried out on the subject has not confirmed this hypothesis. Good levels of vitamin A.
Bibliography:
- Atlas of cheeses - G. Ottogalli - Hoepli - pages 303: 306
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