Cheese Database

Emmental vs Lüneberg cheese

Emmental, field guide plate
Emmental, photographed

Emmental

Facts

Milk
Cow
Texture
Hard
Type
Pressed
Rind
Natural rind
Country
Switzerland
Place
Emmental
Status
AOP

Emmental is the Swiss cow's-milk cheese with large holes, from the Emmental valley in the canton of Bern. The holes are eyes, made by gas during aging. The Swiss cheese is protected.

Lüneberg cheese

Facts

Milk
Cow
Texture
Semi-hard
Type
Pressed
Rind
Washed rind
Country
Austria

Lüneberg cheese is an Austrian cow's milk cheese made in an Alpine style. Saffron goes into the milk, which tints the paste yellow and adds a faint spice note. The body is semi-hard, with many irregular eyes, and the rind is salted, rubbed, and washed as it matures. Ripe cheese sits between a nutty cheese with eyes and a stronger washed-rind cheese. The saffron is the mark that sets it apart from a plain Alpine wheel.