Emmental Cheese vs Piave Cheese

Emmental Cheese is a hard or medium-hard cow-milk cheese from Switzerland, while Piave Cheese is dense and crystalline and made from cow milk, originating in Italy.

What Is Emmental Cheese?

Emmental is a yellow, medium-hard Swiss cheese from the Emme Valley, known for the natural holes that run through it. The taste is savoury but mild. It is eaten cold in chunks or slices and melted into dishes such as gratins.

What Is Piave Cheese?

Piave is a hard, cooked curd cow's milk cheese from the province of Belluno in the far north of Veneto, named after the Piave river. It carries DOP protection and comes at five ages, from a 20 day Fresco to a Riserva aged past 18 months that grates like young Parmesan.

What's the Difference Between Emmental Cheese and Piave Cheese?

• Origin: Emmental Cheese (Switzerland), Piave Cheese (Italy)
• Milk treatment: Emmental Cheese (Raw), Piave Cheese (pasteurized)
• Texture: Emmental Cheese (Hard or medium-hard), Piave Cheese (Dense and crystalline)
• Rind: Emmental Cheese (natural), Piave Cheese (Soft and clear to hard and brown)
• Aging: Emmental Cheese (4 months to over 1 year), Piave Cheese (Twenty to sixty days (Fresco) to over eighteen months (Vecchio Riserva))

Side-by-Side Comparison

Taste Comparison: Does Emmental Cheese Taste Like Piave Cheese?

Emmental Cheese reads as nutty, sweet, while Piave Cheese brings nutty, sweet character. More specifically, Emmental Cheese shows characterized by its holes ("eyes"), sweet and slightly rubbery, crystalline when aged, while Piave Cheese leans toward tropical fruit undertones, intensifies with aging. Aging plays into this as well. Emmental Cheese at 4 months to over 1 year develops a different profile than Piave Cheese at twenty to sixty days (fresco) to over eighteen months (vecchio riserva).

Can You Substitute Emmental Cheese for Piave Cheese?

In most recipes, Emmental Cheese and Piave Cheese can be swapped with reasonable results. Both are cow-milk cheeses, so the base character carries over. Expect hard or medium-hard bite and body where the recipe calls for dense and crystalline.

Which Is Better, Emmental Cheese or Piave Cheese?

There's no single winner. It depends on your recipe and the profile you want. If you want a hard or medium-hard cheese, go with Emmental Cheese. For a dense and crystalline profile, Piave Cheese is the better fit.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is Emmental Cheese the same as Piave Cheese?

No, they're distinct cheeses. Emmental Cheese originates in Switzerland, while Piave Cheese comes from Italy. Aging also differs: Emmental Cheese is typically aged 4 months to over 1 year, Piave Cheese twenty to sixty days (fresco) to over eighteen months (vecchio riserva).

Is Emmental Cheese similar to Piave Cheese?

Somewhat. They share a cow-milk base but diverge in texture and flavor.

Can I substitute Emmental Cheese for Piave Cheese?

You can, but expect a shift in bite and mouthfeel.

Does Emmental Cheese taste like Piave Cheese?

Emmental Cheese reads as nutty, sweet, while Piave Cheese is nutty, sweet.

What is Emmental Cheese made of?

Emmental Cheese is made from cow milk (raw). It's typically aged 4 months to over 1 year. It originates in Switzerland.

What is Piave Cheese made of?

Piave Cheese is made from cow milk (pasteurized). It's typically aged twenty to sixty days (fresco) to over eighteen months (vecchio riserva). It originates in Italy.

Which should I choose, Emmental Cheese or Piave Cheese?

It depends on the dish. The texture difference is the biggest practical tell. Emmental Cheese is hard or medium-hard, while Piave Cheese is dense and crystalline.