Emmental Cheese vs String Cheese
Emmental Cheese is a hard or medium-hard cow-milk cheese from Switzerland, while String Cheese is semi-hard and made from cow milk.
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 String Cheese?
String cheese is any cheese made so the milk proteins line up and the cheese peels into strings. In the United States that means snack sticks of low-moisture mozzarella, while versions from Mexico, Slovakia, Turkey and Armenia take other shapes.
What's the Difference Between Emmental Cheese and String Cheese?
- Texture: Emmental Cheese (Hard or medium-hard), String Cheese (semi-hard)
- Aging: Emmental Cheese (4 months to over 1 year), String Cheese (60 days for Georgian tenili)
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Emmental Cheese | String Cheese | |
|---|---|---|
| Country of Origin | Switzerland | — |
| Specific Origin | Emmental, Canton Of Bern | — |
| Milk Type | Cow's milk | Cow's milk |
| Milk Treatment | Raw | — |
| Texture | Hard or medium-hard | Semi-hard |
| Rind | Natural | — |
| Aging | 4 months to over 1 year | 60 days for Georgian tenili |
| Taste | Nutty, sweet | — |
Taste Comparison: Does Emmental Cheese Taste Like String Cheese?
Their flavor profiles are distinct. More specifically, Emmental Cheese shows characterized by its holes ("eyes"), sweet and slightly rubbery, crystalline when aged, while String Cheese leans toward black cumin and mahleb seasoning in armenian chechil. Aging plays into this as well. Emmental Cheese at 4 months to over 1 year develops a different profile than String Cheese at 60 days for georgian tenili.
Can You Substitute Emmental Cheese for String Cheese?
In most recipes, Emmental Cheese and String 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 semi-hard.
Which Is Better, Emmental Cheese or String 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 semi-hard profile, String Cheese is the better fit.
Which is your favorite?
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Frequently Asked Questions
Is Emmental Cheese the same as String Cheese?
No, they're distinct cheeses. Aging also differs: Emmental Cheese is typically aged 4 months to over 1 year, String Cheese 60 days for georgian tenili.
Is Emmental Cheese similar to String Cheese?
Somewhat. They share a cow-milk base but diverge in texture and flavor.
Can I substitute Emmental Cheese for String Cheese?
You can, but expect a shift in bite and mouthfeel.
Does Emmental Cheese taste like String Cheese?
They have distinct flavor profiles. The taste row in the table above is the best direct comparison.
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 String Cheese made of?
String Cheese is made from cow milk. It's typically aged 60 days for georgian tenili.
Which should I choose, Emmental Cheese or String Cheese?
It depends on the dish. The texture difference is the biggest practical tell. Emmental Cheese is hard or medium-hard, while String Cheese is semi-hard.