Swiss cheeses and dairy products

The breeding of cattle, sheep and goats for milk is attested in the Neolithic period and, since Antiquity, cheese has been exported from the Alpine regions.

The rugged nature of the country makes approximately 80% of the agricultural land unsuitable for cultivation, which is therefore mainly exploited for cattle and sheep farming.

Dairy products in general are highly appreciated throughout the country, with butter and cream being classic ingredients of Swiss cuisine.

The breeding of cattle, sheep and goats is attested in the Neolithic period by archaeological remains (bones) throughout Switzerland.

In his writings of the 1st Century AD, he mentions the Caseus Helveticus, a hard Sbrinz-like cheese made by the Helvetii, who were the tribe occupying the territory of modern-day Switzerland.

[3] In the Middle Ages, with the decline of Latin civilization, the use of rennet disappeared in German-speaking territories, but it probably continued in Romance-speaking lands.

Sources from the 13th-14th centuries attest to the production of fat cheese in Lower Valais and the Gruyères region.

The growing demand in urban markets, first in the Confederation and soon also in Italy, France and Germany, gave rise to a capital-intensive export trade.

[2] Export cheese-making led to great changes in the economy of the villages that practiced it: on the pastures, dairy cows were summered rather than young oxen and small livestock; formerly an accessory occupation of the peasants, the cheese-making became a profession (Armailli) with improved techniques; the exploitation of mountain pastures became more rational and took, on private land, new forms marked by the spirit of enterprise.

[1] Cheese companies were therefore first established in the alpine and pre-Alpine areas of Appenzell, Schwyz, Unterwalden, Bernese Oberland and Fribourg.

Those which had easy access to large lakes such as Zurich, Zug, Lucerne, Thun and Geneva, were favoured.

These are traditionally made in large rounds or "wheels" with a hard rind, to provide longevity to the shelf-life.

The four largest dairy processors in Switzerland are Emmi, Cremo, Hochdorf and Elsa (part of the Migros group).