BURIED TREASURE
A labyrinth of sandstone caves filled with thousands of wheels of cheese lie hidden underground in Switzerland. Welcome to the caves of Kaltbach, where Swiss cheese comes of age.
It’s as if time has stopped in the Kaltbach caves. The cool, dark space, deep beneath the ground, is completely still, except for the occasional splish and splash of dripping water.
Rainfall has trickled down from ground level for more than 22 million years in this beautiful part of the Lucerne canton in northern
EMMI: STRENGTH IN NUMBERS
Milk is in the DNA of Emmi. The company can trace its roots back to 1907, when 62 cooperatives founded the Central Swiss Milk Association Lucerne for the production of cheese and yoghurt. The Association introduced the brand name Emmi (taken from the name of the town Emmen where the business was based) in 1947 and finally founded Emmi AG in 1993.
Switzerland, slowly hollowing out the sandstone to create a network of magnificent chambers 60m beneath the Alpine hills and valley. It might be 40°C in the heat of summer or -15°C in the depths of winter up above, but the temperature in the caves remains unmoved at a constant 12.5°C and humidity of 95%.
These underground caverns were
It has grown from then to become a worldwide business with 57 of its own production sites in eleven countries, but these figures don’t tell the full story.
For a large company, Emmi continues to work with very small family businesses, especially when it comes to its Kaltbach cheeses. The farms and dairies that make the cheeses that are aged in the caves are tiny by UK standards.
Small farms with an average herd size of between 20-60
discovered by Neolithic farmers but lay largely untouched by human hands for thousands of years until 1953, when a group of cheesemakers in need of extra storage space put them to use as maturing rooms.
In a perfect example of necessity as the mother of invention, it turned out that the caves were the perfect place for ageing cheese. The porous
animals supply milk to local village dairies, which make the cheese. These businesses are also often very small family affair themselves, employing a handful of staff, with just 16 dairies supplying the cheeses to make Kaltbach Le Gruyère AOP.
It’s this close relationship between local farms, village dairies and cave masters, which often goes back generations, that is the secret of Emmi and Kaltbach’s success. There is strength in numbers.
sandstone walls help regulate the atmosphere, releasing moisture when needed and absorbing it when there is too much, while the cool temperature and mineral-rich air also play their part. Together these natural conditions help to develop wonderful flavours and textures in the cheese.
DID YOU KNOW?
Never one to miss a cheese opportunity, Swiss dairy company Emmi took over the caves in 1993 and has harnessed the unique environment to transform cheese through expert affinage (cheese maturing) ever since. The caves have grown markedly since then, with six different expansions down the decades taking the space from just 10 metres to a network that stretches for more than 2.3km.
It takes two years for water to trickle down from ground level through layers of sandstone to reach the Kaltbach caves.
masters source wheels from trusted family-run dairies, often producing just a dozen or so wheels a day. Batches are tested for quality, with only those scoring 19 out of 20 accepted for maturation in the Kaltbach caves. How long that takes depends on the cheese. In the case of Kaltbach Gruyère AOP or Kaltbach Emmentaler AOP, the wheels will be stored for 12 months, while Gouda is typically aged for six months and Creamy four months. Washing and brushing the cheeses during maturation are important parts of the job, helping the rind to develop and creating unique flavours in the paste.
KALTBACH: 22 MILLION YEARS IN THE MAKING
Wine-makers often talk in reverential terms about ‘terroir’. How the soil and climate of their vineyards are reflected in their grapes and wines with unique flavours and characteristics.
Today, more than 100,000 wheels of cheese are matured in the caves at any one time, with each one going on to bear the Kaltbach name, from classics including Le Gruyère AOP, Emmentaler AOP, Raclette and Appenzeller AOP to newer creations such as Kaltbach Creamy (enriched with cream) and sweet, nutty Kaltbach Gouda.
DID YOU KNOW?
A small underground river runs through part of the Kaltbach caves, which is where the name comes from. Kaltbach means “cold stream” in German.
The singular atmosphere of Kaltbach is only part of the story, however. A team of expert ‘affineurs’ passes through the passages, which are named after Swiss cantons, and tend to the caves. Their job it is to make sure the wheels of cheese reach their full potential, as they age for anywhere from four months to more than a year.
Known as ‘cave masters’, these underground alchemists begin their training with a threeyear apprenticeship, followed by college courses. But understanding how to harness time, temperature and humidity to create great cheese is not something you can study just on paper. It also takes a lifetime of hands-on experience, with many of the cave masters counting their service in decades rather than years.
DID YOU KNOW?
A whole wheel of Kaltbach
Emmentaler AOP clocks in at almost 100kg, which is more than the average weight of a man.
Turning the cheeses so that moisture is evenly distributed and the texture is smooth and consistent is also essential – no easy job when you consider that wheels of Gruyère weigh 35kg and Emmentalers are almost 100kg. Historically this was done by strong arms and hands, but now specially designed robots patrol the wooden shelves, guided by lasers, flipping and turning the cheeses as they go. Judging when each wheel is at its best requires all of the cave master’s senses. First the rind is inspected visually to see if it has fully developed and there are no faults. The wheels of cheese are also tapped with the handle of a cheese iron to check for interior faults. Parts of the cheese with any unwanted cracks or holes inside will sound different to the trained ear. Then the iron is used to take a core sample of the cheese, so the affineur can feel the texture of the paste in their fingers, assess its aroma and taste a small piece to ensure the balance and flavour development is correct. It’s an immersive experience that requires an almost intuitive understanding of how cheese develops. Something that is only truly understood after years and decades of doing the job.
But it’s not just wine that can express a sense of place. Kaltbach cheeses also embody where they come from in much the same way. The Alpine farms that provide the milk and the dairies that make the cheeses are part of an agricultural system in Switzerland that dates back hundreds of years, while the famous sandstone caves in the canton of Lucerne, where the cheeses are matured, have been 22 million in the making.
As you’ll find out in the following pages of this supplement, this unique mix of nature, history, hard work and expertise are all part of what makes the Kaltbach cheeses so special.
Cheese with provenance makes all the difference when it comes to conversations across a deli cheese counter, but just as importantly Alpine cheeses have never been more popular with the British public, who love their sweet, nutty flavours on cheeseboards and in recipes.
There’s something for everyone in this regard in the Kaltbach range, which includes Le Gruyère AOP, Emmentaler AOP, Creamy and Gouda – cheeses that pair easily with a huge range of drinks and accompaniments, while also being essential ingredients in the kitchen.
In other words, they are cheeses with a story to tell.
EDITORIAL
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Picking the right cheeses to mature in the first place is key. The cave
As Kaltbach’s sandstone caves go to show, time is the secret ingredient of great cheese.
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THE LAND OF WHITE GOLD
From family farms to village dairies, there’s a remarkable network of small businesses working together across Switzerland to create cheese fit for the caves of Kaltbach.
Dairy farmer Marcel Arnold often refers to his milk as “white gold”, and for good reason. The 40-strong herd of cows that graze the fields at Bodenacherhof in Wikon are the backbone of his family business, helping to support Arnold, his wife and their children who live and work on the farm in the canton of Lucerne. Every drop of milk is
DID YOU KNOW?
Cheeses are washed, brushed and turned every 7-10 days under the watchful eyes of expert affineurs in the Kaltbach caves.
therefore precious, especially when you consider that the farm is one of a select few in the local area to supply Emmi. The ‘white gold’ produced by Arnold’s herd is transformed into Kaltbach Emmentaler AOP and is part of the wider story of what makes Kaltbach cheeses so special.
Bodenacherhof is representative of the kind of small family businesses
NO LACTOSE?
NO PROBLEM
You only have to visit a supermarket to see how sales of ‘free-from’ foods have grown in recent years. Entire aisles are now dedicated to products that are free from gluten, lactose or sugar, with sales surging by nearly 10% a year.
It’s a conversation that is also cropping
up more in delis, with customers asking for what were once seen as specialist health products.
It might not be the most obvious choice, but cheese is often a good product to recommend in these cases.
Kaltbach Creamy, Le Gruyère AOP, Emmentaler AOP and Appenzeller are all naturally lactose- and gluten-free, as well as containing no GMOs.
While milk does contain lactose, starter
that work together to make Kaltbach cheeses. The Fleckvieh and Red Holstein cows on Arnold’s 25 hectare farm are fed an all-natural diet and animal welfare is a priority. Each cow has its own name (Panda is the family favourite) and they are free to graze Alpine pastures during the warmer months, while in the winter they are fed locally grown hay. Silage and GMO feed is strictly forbidden.
The size of the herd at Bodenacherhof is also typical. The average for farms that supply Emmi is 20-60 cows. To put that into context, the average dairy herd in the UK is around 160 cows.
cultures added during the cheese-making process convert the sugar into lactic acid.
As the cheese matures in the Kaltbach caves, any residual lactose is completely broken down, resulting in a cheese that even those with lactose intolerance can enjoy.
Public understanding about this is in its early stages, but delis are ideally placed to inform and educate with a few words of explanation and some tasters across the counter.
THE POWER OF THE SUN
While milk is the first step in the creation of great cheese, the village dairies that transform it into mighty wheels for ageing in the Kaltbach caves are just as important. The cave masters accept only the best.
with harp-like wires into small pieces that are scalded to 52°C, before being pumped into moulds and pressed overnight. The huge wheels of cheese, which are the size of lorry tyres, are then brined in salt baths for 48 hours and matured at 21°C so that the eyes are fully formed. They are then transferred to a cold cellar where they are kept for three months until the best cheeses are selected for another nine months of ageing in the sandstone Kaltbach caves. Swiss cheeses have been made in this way for hundreds of years, but modern technologies are also embraced. Both the Schlierbach dairy and the Arnold dairy farm have installed solar panels to dramatically reduce energy usage. Bodenacherhof generates around 60% of the energy it requires from its solar panels, as well as using sustainably grown wood from its own 12 hectare forest to heat water.
The investment is part of Kaltbach’s ‘AOP eco-cheese network’, which has also seen solar panels installed at numerous dairies and farms involved in making AOP cheeses, as well as the buildings above ground at the Kaltbach caves. It’s all part of Emmi’s larger commitment to reduce CO2 emissions by 60% by 2027 and achieve net zero by 2050.
LOCAL HEROES
DID YOU KNOW?
Kaltbach Emmentaler AOP is made largely by just three dairies, which supply the caves with young cheeses for maturing. There are only 12 makers in total.
The village cheese dairy in SchlierbachKrumbach is a case in point. Every morning, its three cheesemakers receive fresh milk from 26 dairy farms in the area, including from the Arnold family, and transform it into 12 wheels of Emmentaler weighing 94kg each.
It’s highly skilled work, requiring craftsmanship, experience and physical strength. Raw milk is gently filled into the 6,500-litre vat, known as the ‘kessi’, before starter cultures and then rennet are added. A special type of bacteria – Propionibacterium – is also added, which will later produce CO2 in the cheese creating the famous holes (eyes) of Emmentaler.
Once the curd has formed, it is cut
This collective approach with small farms supplying local dairies, which then supply the caves is used across all Kaltbach cheeses. Close bonds between the different links in the chain are essential and can lead to special results, as the work of Fromagerie du Haut-Jorat in the Canton of Vaud goes to show. One of a group of village dairies that sends young wheels of Le Gruyère AOP to the Kaltbach caves for ageing, the company has won many awards for over the years.
Owner René Pernet comes from a long line of cheesemakers and took over the business in 2005, ensuring it remained a vital cog in the local economy. The dairy receives milk from 14 local farms and employs 12 people, some of whom have been making cheese there for over 20 years. It is also self-sufficient thanks to the installation of solar panels.
Pernet says the success of his cheese is down to a combination of the skill of his cheesemakers and the cave masters, but also the hard work of the farms that supply him. “Each of the producers pays the utmost attention to the quality of their milk. It’s very clear between us: less than excellent milk is not accepted.”
No wonder they call it white gold.
KALTBACH CHEESES: SOMETHING FOR EVERYONE
A wide range of cheeses are matured in the Kaltbach caves meaning there is a cheese to suit all tastes
KALTBACH
CREAMY
Made with pasteurised cows’ milk, plus added cream, Creamy is aged for four months.
KALTBACH LE GRUYÈRE AOP
Made with raw cow’s milk under the terms of a strict AOP, which protects the cheese in Switzerland and across Europe, Kaltbach le Gruyère AOP is aged for 12 months.
KALTBACH GOUDA
Made with Swiss pasteurised cows’ milk cheese in Switzerland, Kaltbach Gouda is aged for six months.
KALTBACH GOAT CHEESE
Fresh Swiss pasteurised goats’ milk, matured in the sandstone caves for four months.
KALTBACH APPENZELLER
A classic raw cows’ milk cheese from Switzerland, which is washed in a secret herbal brine as it is matured over a seven month period.
KALTBACH EMMENTALER AOP
Switzerland’s iconic holey cheese is made with raw cows’ milk in enormous 94kg wheels and aged in the Kaltbach caves for 12 months.
KALTBACH TRUFFLE
A flavoured cheese with a difference. Pieces of fresh black truffles are added to the pasteurised cow’s milk before the cheese is made. It is cave-aged for around four months.
THE TASTE OF TIME
There
are a world of flavours and textures in Kaltbach cheeses,
reflecting the time they have spent in
the sandstone caves. To unlock their full potential follow these four simple steps.
USE YOUR EYES
You can learn lot about a cheese just by looking it. The light brown rind of Kaltbach Le Gruyère AOP, which brings savoury flavours to the cheese, comes from being washed in brine and brushed during maturation. Likewise, inspect the interior of Kaltbach Emmentaler AOP and you will see iconic holes created by CO2-producing bacteria.
GIVE IT A SQUEEZE
Feeling a slice of cheese with your fingers will also reveal some of its secrets. Younger cheeses, such as Creamy, Gouda and Truffle will be more supple to the touch, while Le Gruyère AOP and Emmentaler AOP will be harder, crumblier and have more snap. The tyrosine crystals in Le Gruyère AOP form as the protein structure breaks down during long maturation.
Kaltbach Creamy
Enriched with cream and aged for four months, Kaltbach Creamy is a cheese that you might expect to be simple and mild. And while there are definitely creamy notes (similar in some ways to clotted cream), there’s a lot more besides. The flavours on offer vary from baked apple and dried flowers through to roasted onion notes near the rind – not to mention a long savoury finish. What’s more, the texture is pleasingly fudgey and toothsome.
Kaltbach Gouda
Made in Switzerland with Swiss milk, and matured for six months in the Kaltbach caves, this is a cheese with its own distinct personality. Beneath the dark brown rind, is a firm golden paste that has plenty of caramel sweetness, but the texture is ever so crumbly and the there are delicate spicy and savoury notes. A Gouda with a Swiss accent.
Kaltbach Le Gruyère AOP
Time changes cheese in wonderful ways, as Kaltbach Le Gruyère AOP goes to show. After a year of maturation, the rind is dark and aromatic, while the cheese beneath has a firm, crystalline texture and complex layers of flavour. There’s the sweetness of malt and caramel, but also dried fruit notes, such as mango and papaya, roasted hazelnuts and a beefy intensity that lingers long on the tongue.
THE NOSE KNOWS
This is where the flavour wheel opposite starts to come into own. Give the rind a sniff and you might pick up notes of damp earth and even meaty notes, while the paste can reveal a gamut of aromas depending on the cheese. Think fresh and milky notes with Creamy, and roasted, nutty aromas with Le Gruyère AOP.
TIME TO TASTE
Before you taste make sure your cheese is at room temperature – the flavours will really open up. Then slowly chew the cheese and breathe through your nose to help fully release the flavours. Try to pinpoint simple flavours, such as sweet, salty, sharp, savoury or bitter, and then move into families of flavours, such as fruity, meaty, dairy and spicy.
Kaltbach Emmentaler
AOP
A grown-up Emmentaler in more than ways than one. Aged for 12 months until protein crystals start to form and the holey interior becomes firmer and less pliable, Kaltbach Emmentaler AOP has intriguing depths and nuances. A yoghurty, lactic tang is balanced by notes of apricot and Brazil nuts, plus a floral finish.
Kaltbach Truffle
Fresh Italian black truffles are added to the vat during the production of this creamy cows’ milk cheese, which is aged for four months. The resulting flavour combines an intense earthy perfume from the truffles balanced by the buttery richness and hazelnut sweetness of the cheese.
ON THE SIDE, IN THE GLASS
Red wine and chutney are all well and good, but there are other ways to add pizazz to a Kaltbach cheeseboard.
The rich, dairy notes of Kaltbach Creamy are the perfect foil for fruit, from blackberries to poached cherries. To cut through the creaminess, go for drinks that have natural acidity and bubbles, such as Chenin Blanc, Berliner Weisse or kombucha.
Kaltbach Gouda takes a different path with more aromatic and caramel notes, which work beautifully with a slice of ripe pear or a sprinkle of cumin seeds. Drinks
require a touch of sweetness or spice. Try medium ciders or spiced rum.
The intensity of Kaltbach Le Gruyère AOP can stand up to more powerful partners on the board. Onion marmalade and bresaola complement the cheese’s roasted, meaty notes, or contrast with sweet accompaniments, such as honey or charred pineapple. Buttery oaked Chardonnays, strong Belgian ales or even a single-malt whisky all meet the mark
when it comes to liquid refreshment.
Finally, the inherent nuttiness of Kaltbach Emmentaler AOP is delicious with caramelised hazelnuts and a sweet, malty brown ale. Alternatively go for an accompaniment with crunch and sharpness to match up with the tangy notes in the cheese. Pickled carrots or cornichons work well. As does a gin and tonic – the slightly bitter notes from the tonic are a refreshing counterpoint.
KITCHEN HACKS: FOUR WAYS WITH KALTBACH
Thanks to their bold flavours and excellent melting qualities Kaltbach cheeses are at home in the kitchen as well as on the cheeseboard
APPENZELLER DIP
The ultimate side for sweet potato fries or nachos, this cheese dip takes minutes to make. Simply bring 100ml of milk and 100ml of single cream to the boil, then stir in a teaspoon of mustard and 200g of grated Kaltbach Appenzeller until melted. Allow to cool and then dip away.
GRILLED TOMATO PESTO BREAD
This foil-wrapped treat can be cooked on the barbecue or baked in the oven. Cut vertical slices into a baguette without going all the way through, then spread the bread inside with pesto, before adding a slice of tomato and a slice of Kaltbach Le Gruyère AOP to each incision. Wrap loosely in foil and grill on a barbecue for 10 minutes or bake in a hot oven. Finish by opening the foil and grilling the top for five minutes.
KALTBACH CREAMY BURGERS
The extra cream that is added to Kaltbach Creamy gives it a buttery texture and creamy flavour that is perfect for melting on burgers. Melt slices on top of a burger using the grill or by putting a lid over the pan. To assemble the burger, spread the bottom half of a toasted bun with truffle mayo (simply add a dash of truffle oil to mayonnaise), add another slice of creamy, then the burger and top with caramelised onion and the rest of the bun.
EMMENTALER MEATBALLS
A quick snack for parties and get togethers, these are so easy to make. Mix together minced beef, bread crumbs, diced onion, crushed garlic and finely chopped parsley with some egg and a pinch of salt. Form into meatballs and push a cube of Kaltbach Emmentaler AOP into the middle of each, then fry in butter in a pan for five minutes. Skewer with a toothpick and serve. The cheese should ooze when you take a bite.
