7th November 2025
cheese culture
Kleinstein's traditional craft: on the future of Emmentaler AOP.
“I am proud to produce such a traditional product that is deeply rooted in our region.” Silvio Schöpfer has been running the Kleinstein cheese dairy in the canton of Lucerne alongside his father Albert for nine years.
Anyone driving up to the Kleinstein cheese dairy needs four-wheel drive, at least in the colder months. The road winds its way up narrow serpentines from the valley to an altitude of over 800 meters, where the world still smells of milk, hay, and mountain air. Here at the Kleinstein cheese dairy, Silvio Schöpfer processes around 3,000 kilograms of fresh milk from regional farmers every day – by hand, with patience, experience, and a great deal of sensitivity. Each wheel tells the story of the landscape and the pride of a region that wants to preserve its craft.
For in the midst of this idyll, one can also sense the tension between the “good old days” and growing external and internal challenges: falling milk prices, growing industrial competition, and price-conscious consumer behavior are putting pressure on cheese dairies. At the same time, the number of farms producing silo-free milk – a cornerstone of traditional Swiss cheese – is shrinking.
Emmentaler AOP, which once conquered the whole world, is a prime example of these challenges. Its yellow, round wheels with characteristic holes have always shaped the classic image of cheese and made it the first internationally known cheese from Switzerland as early as the 19th century. Pop culture, comics, and emigration spread its reputation: today, Emmentaler is synonymous with Swiss cheese worldwide—a global taste experience that Silvio Schöpfer and the Kleinstein cheese dairy, as well as initiatives such as Gourmino, are committed to preserving.
“Good cheese quality starts in the barn—with the farmers and their milk. But it's not just the raw milk itself that counts, it's also the close, personal contact we have with our milk suppliers.”
Your nine milk suppliers deliver up to 3,000 kilograms of fresh, silage-free milk, which you process into a wide range of mountain cheese specialties. This provides your milk suppliers with a secure income and strengthens local agriculture. What do your regional roots mean to you personally?
Silvio: It makes me proud to produce such a traditional product that is deeply rooted in our region. I started my apprenticeship in 2003 at the age of 15 and completed it in 2006. I then worked in the events industry for three years before finally returning to the cheese dairy nine years ago—partly because my father was getting older and it was very important to me to continue the family tradition.
Cheese affinage partnerships with Jamei Laibspeis and Maître Philippe, a place among the ten best Emmentaler AOP producers since 2021, and the latest awards—the Fenster zum Hof award at Cheese Berlin and the Swiss Cheese Award 2024—speak for themselves. How do you explain this enduring enthusiasm for your cheese specialties from the Lucerne Pre-Alps?
Silvio: Good cheese quality starts in the barn – with the farmers and their milk. But it's not just the raw milk itself that counts, it's also the close, personal contact we have with our milk suppliers. I see it as a great advantage that the farmers come to the cheese dairy in person every morning to deliver their milk. This creates trust and mutual respect and enables us to react immediately to quality issues and random checks.
Precision in processing is equally crucial. Every single step must be carried out exactly: the milk thickens for exactly 40 minutes at a constant temperature between 31.2 and 31.4 degrees Celsius. This varies slightly depending on the season – then I adjust the amount of rennet or add the culture earlier or later. This precision work requires experience, tact, and accurate documentation. Over the years, as a cheesemaker, you develop a sense of what the cheese needs at any given moment—and that's what makes all the difference.
“One point that concerns me is the trend toward silage-free milk. More and more farmers are switching to silage feeding. Yet it is precisely this milk that forms the basis for many traditional Swiss cheeses, especially Emmentaler AOP.”
Emmentaler AOP has been produced in Kleinstein since 1916. In Germany, it is simply called “Schweizer Käse” (Swiss cheese), while in the USA it is known as “Swiss cheese.” And when children draw a picture of cheese, they draw Emmentaler. How do you explain the international success story of this traditional hard cheese?
Silvio: That's exactly what I always say: Emmental cheese—its taste, its appearance—is the face of cheese. There are several reasons for this. Emmental cheese originated in the Swiss Emmental region. It was produced and exported in large quantities from an early stage—first to Germany and France, and later also to the USA. This made it the first well-known cheese from Europe in many countries.
The holes—actually fermentation gas bubbles—are unique and instantly recognizable. This distinctive appearance has made Emmental cheese a symbol: when you think of cheese, you automatically think of the large, yellow wheel with holes. Its round shape, light color, and mild flavor make it seem friendly and familiar—it represents the ideal image of cheese, so to speak.
Pop culture has also reinforced this image in recent decades.
Silvio: In comics, cartoons, and old commercials—such as Tom & Jerry—cheese was almost always depicted as a yellow block with holes. This image has become deeply ingrained in the collective memory: cheese equals Emmental. Added to this is the history of Swiss emigrants: around a hundred years ago, many took their knowledge and cheese-making traditions with them to other countries. There, numerous Emmental replicas were created, often simply called “Swiss cheese.” Thus, Emmental became not only a global taste experience, but also a worldwide symbol of cheese par excellence.
In comics, cartoons, or old commercials—such as Tom & Jerry—cheese was almost always depicted as a yellow block with holes. This image has become deeply ingrained in the collective memory: cheese equals Emmental.
How do you explain the fact that Emmental cheese is currently losing popularity, for example in Italy?
Silvio: I need to go back a bit further to explain that. In the past, there was something called the Cheese Union—a kind of planned production system. Every cheese maker knew exactly how much they were allowed to produce and how much they would earn at the end of the year. At that time, the state compensated for price fluctuations, including for Emmental cheese. A lot has changed since the liberalization of the cheese market in 1999. Although we now have more entrepreneurial freedom, we also have to take care of sales ourselves, together with the cheese retailers. There is still government support, but this goes directly to the dairy farmers who produce the milk for cheese.
Added to this is the exchange rate development: at the beginning of the 2000s, the euro was still worth around 1.60 Swiss francs, today it is worth around 0.90 Swiss francs. We are feeling the effects of this significantly – Emmentaler has simply become more expensive abroad. When the Italians, who are traditionally our best customers alongside Germany, have to watch their budget, they consider whether to buy the original Emmentaler AOP for around 25 euros or an industrially produced “Swiss Cheese” for 12 euros per kilo.
And this is precisely what favors industrial production without the AOP label.
Silvio: The industry prioritizes quantity. In France, for example, there is a single dairy that produces around 20,000 tons of Emmental. Across the entire Swiss production, we collectively produce about 15,000 tons. It quickly becomes clear that we are talking about entirely different scales, especially in terms of quality. Unfortunately, in the mild segment, the taste difference is not immediately noticeable for many consumers. That’s why we—at Gourmino, for instance—deliberately focus on long-aged cheeses with character and depth, because high-quality Emmental AOP is matured for a longer period. This is the only way we can stand out from mass-produced products and make the artisanal quality that defines our Emmental AOP truly visible.
In 2023, Emmental AOP made it into the Top 10 at the World Cheese Awards (left), and in 2024, the Kleinstein dairy received the Swiss Cheese Award for its Emmental AOP (right).
Emmental AOP is now the most copied cheese in the world, due to years of neglected trademark protection. Gourmino, a collective of traditional Swiss cheesemakers specializing in long-aged, artisanal raw-milk cheeses, counters this trend with its slow-food approach. You and your father are also part of this initiative through the Kleinstein dairy. Where exactly do you focus your efforts to preserve the traditional craft of Emmental?
Silvio: When school classes visit, it’s always wonderful to see children’s eyes light up as they watch cheese being made. But this very enthusiasm was neglected for too long in their parents’ generation. For the broader public, we have to accept that cheaper alternatives exist today. That’s why we focus on consumers who value quality, origin, and craftsmanship: people who appreciate fine taste and are willing to pay a bit more for it. Gourmino does this exceptionally well, especially in the United States, where our cheeses are available in selected delicatessens, sought out by customers looking for authentic products with real values and personal dedication. We need to serve these niches while also leveraging digital media to make the fascination for genuine cheese tangible again.
What other positive developments have you observed in recent years?
Silvio: The liberalization of the cheese market has created many new opportunities. In the past, everything was more regulated – today, we are more creative and can develop our own cheese varieties. If I only produced Emmental, it would be difficult to excite people in the region as much. The diversity of cheeses we make today has greatly increased our visibility and reputation.
I’m particularly proud of our Pilatusblick – known in Germany through Gourmino as Fluehblüemli – which has now become, right after Emmental, the best-selling cheese in the region. There’s a little story behind it: long ago, little wild men lived in the caves of Pilatus. When the weather was good, they would come down to the valley to help the farmers with their work. As a reward, they received milk, bread, and grain. Over time, they began making cheese from the milk – a cheese that quickly became famous everywhere. Today, we draw on this legend: Pilatus mountain cheese is strong, flavorful, and has a wonderfully creamy texture. Coupled with a story, it allows people to experience tradition and regional heritage in a tangible, enjoyable way.
You’re known for experimenting with new cheeses. What are you currently working on?
Silvio: Creativity in cheesemaking requires time and patience. It’s also important to find the right balance between familiar classics and new varieties. After all, you don’t want to cannibalize your best-selling products in the display case. At the moment, I’m working on a reduced-fat, high-protein cheese that still carries the full flavor and character of our mountain region. My goal is always to create a cheese that clearly stands apart from existing varieties – an independent product, not just a “further-aged” or modified version of another cheese. A new creation that shows that even tradition has room for innovation.
Das Jahresende 2025 wird für Silvio noch einmal spannend: Seine Käse hat er bei den World Cheese Awards in Bern wieder ins Rennen geschickt. Zugleich freut er sich auf die Cheese Berlin, bei der er und seine Käserei im vergangenen Jahr ausgezeichnet wurden.
Is there a type of cheese you’ve been hesitant to offer your customers – even though you’d like to?
Silvio: Blue cheese! That’s just too risky for me. It would require a separate, dedicated aging room. Imagine if blue mold spores got into the air here, and suddenly my Emmental came out of the cellar blue! That’s why I prefer to stick to our tried-and-true varieties and focus on making them with the utmost precision and perfection. I’m not a fan of experiments at any cost. I’d rather have a cheese that is flawless in every detail than take a gamble that could end in disaster.
From the microcosm of Kleinstein, looking at the current developments in the Swiss cheese landscape: what trends are you noticing?
Silvio: One point that worries me is the shift toward silage-fed milk. More and more farmers are switching to silage, which could lead to a shortage of silage-free milk in the coming years. Yet it is exactly this milk that forms the foundation of many traditional Swiss cheeses, particularly Emmental AOP. We need a strong nationwide base of high-quality raw milk to maintain our quality standards in the long term. Overall milk production is increasing, but unfortunately, much of it comes from silage-fed cows.
Then there’s the economic situation: the strong Swiss franc, the weak euro, and import tariffs – for example, from the U.S. – create a challenging combination. At Gourmino, we’re fortunate to work within stable partnerships, but on an economic level, it’s a concerning development that favors industrial cheese production.
Despite all the internal and external challenges, what makes your job as a cheesemaker in the heart of Switzerland so uniquely rewarding?
Silvio: The profession is truly wonderful and creates a sense of family: cheese connects taste, enjoyment, and memories across generations. I’m proud to contribute to this feeling in a way that spans generations. What makes this job so special is that you see, smell, and taste the results of your work every single day – knowing you’re creating genuine craftsmanship that brings people together.
I’m especially excited about the coming weeks: I’ve entered some of our cheeses in the World Cheese Awards in Bern, and in a few days comes Cheese Berlin. This year, at the Swiss Cheese Marketing stand, I’ll be presenting our Emmental AOP, after we were honored last year with the Window-to-the-Farm Award. Moments like these are the greatest affirmation for me that passion, precision, and craftsmanship always retain their value – no matter how times change.
Kleinstein
Chlistei 5, 6106 Werthenstein, Switzerland
website: www.kaeserei-kleinstein.ch
instagram: www.instagram.com/silvio.kaese.vom.schoepfer