While Reubens offer a variety of ingredient options depending on your preference—some folks favor corned beef or pastrami over turkey or sauerkraut over cole slaw—a reliable mainstay is Emmentaler cheese. Its mild flavor and majestic meltiness both contrast with and complement these more robust ingredients. Can a Reuben that omits this important component live up to its name?
We at Zingerman’s are obsessed with finding traditionally made, full-flavored ingredients. The cheese we put on our Reubens is no exception. Please join us on a little adventure to Switzerland’s Emmental Valley to learn more.
The OG Swiss – Emmentaler
The cheese we Americans broadly call Swiss originates from a specific type of alpine cheese (others include Gruyere and Fontina) called Emmentaler. Emmentaler comes from the Emme River Valley of west-central Switzerland – tal is German for valley or dale, so the area is called Emmental. Known traditionally for its dairy farming, Emmental is a hilly region near Bern teeming with lush pastures.
Emmentaler is a raw milk cheese whose roots date back to the 14th century. Traditionally made in large copper kettles, it is molded into wheels weighing up to 200 pounds and aged for at least four months. Perhaps one of Emmentaler’s most distinctive features is the signature holes that form within the cheese as it ages (the longer it ages, the bigger the holes). These are formed as bacteria cultures release carbon dioxide during fermentation, creating air pockets within the wheel. These bacterial cultures also release acids that contribute to Emmentaler’s distinctive nutty and sweet flavor.
Protecting Tradition and Quality
In addition to originating from Switzerland’s Emme River Valley, makers must comply with rigorous ingredient and production standards to call their cheese Emmentaler. Following these rules results in an Appellation d’Origine Protégée (AOP) certification regulated by the Swiss government. Requirements include using raw milk from small farms within 20 kilometers of the dairy where the cheese is made. Emmentaler has to be aged for at least four months, and there are even rules governing the number and size of the cheese’s famous holes. AOP certification safeguards Emmentaler and other artisanal cheeses from competing against modern industrial knock-offs outside Switzerland.
One of these imitations is an Emmentaler-like cheese mass-produced in the United States, ubiquitously known as Swiss cheese. Though they share similarities, the American version is pasteurized and aged for only one to three months. This creates a less firm, rindless product that is paler in hue and generally lacks traditional Emmentaler’s depth of flavor.
We have used LeSuperbe Emmentaler for many years at the Deli. It is made by Lustenberger and Dürst SA, which has made award-winning cheese for over 160 years. Headquartered in Hünenberg, Switzerland, Lustenberger and Dürst SA are recognized worldwide not only for their high-quality cheese but also for their dedication to nurturing close ties with local farmers, with some relationships dating back many generations, and their commitment to environmentally sustainable practices.
Starring Swiss …
You’ll currently find Emmentaler on 9 of our sandwiches, including these:
Zingerman’s Reuben – #2
Georgia Reuben – #18
Jenny’s Fix – #22
Otho’s Masterpiece – #272
D-$’s Cuban Conundrum – #00
LeSuperbe’s Emmentaler has many uses beyond making a Reuben sandwich. Its supreme meltability lends itself to being used in a mild yet sublime fondue. It also opens an array of options for other kinds of sandwich melts—imagine it on a grilled cheese paired with American Spoon Apple and Onion Jam and Bakehouse sourdough bread, or on a patty melt with sautéed mushrooms, a splash of Sanchez Romate sherry vinegar, on Jewish rye.
