American vs Swiss Cheese: Difference and Comparison

Cheese is developed from milk that creates better cheese if the milk is allowed to sit in a warm container for an extended period.

Moreover, the longer the milk sat in warmer temperatures, the more consistent cheese would be in terms of taste and texture. American and Swiss Cheese are exceptionally similar in origin, yet they are different too.

Key Takeaways

1. American cheese is processed cheese made from a blend of cheeses, while Swiss cheese is natural cheese made from cow’s milk.
2. American cheese has a mild flavor and a smooth texture, while Swiss cheese has a nutty and sweet taste with a firm texture.
3. American cheese is commonly used in sandwiches and burgers, while Swiss cheese is used in fondue and as a topping for sandwiches and burgers.

American vs Swiss Cheese

American cheese is a cheese product which is processed, with a light taste. It is not considered natural and melts easily into cheeseburgers and stuffings. Cheese which comes from Switzerland is called Swiss cheese. It is totally made with natural ingredients and contains eyes on it. Its color ranges from white to orange.

American Cheese is pre-packaged in plastic wrap, which helps it to stay fresh for a long time. Moreover, American Cheese is a low-priced fresh cheese that contains low calcium levels and high sodium levels.

American Cheese is used in cheaper products like pizza or sandwiches due to its lower shelf life.

Swiss Cheese tends to have more protein and less fat, which is good for someone who is trying to increase nutrients or reduce their fat intake. Moreover, another great part of Swiss cheese is that it is aged longer for flavours.

Swiss Cheese is also used for making cheeseburgers and other products where more flavour is needed.

Comparison Table

Parameters of Comparison	American Cheese	Swiss Cheese
Origin	The United States of America	Switzerland
Taste	Less flavorful.	More flavorful.
Nutrients	Fewer nutrients.	More nutrients.
Shelf life	It has less shelf life.	It has a longer shelf life.
Texture	It is lustrous.	It is slightly harder.
Cost	It is low-priced.	It is high-priced.

What is American Cheese?

American Cheese can come in four varieties which fall into two types of categories that are “hard” and “soft.” These categories aren’t just designations made to differentiate between them, but each cheese is truly distinctive when compared to the others.

A piece of hard cheese is any regular, orange-coloured brick that has a spherical shape and has a firm or brittle texture.

Hard American cheeses are well known as regular and cheddar cheese. Soft American cheese is any regular, white-coloured block with a spongy or velvety texture and a mild flavour.

Soft American cheese is also well known as Colby and Monterey Jack cheese. For example, the Colby cheese is also known as medium cheddar, although another form of Colby is known as “medium jack.”

In addition, there are also Colby cheeses known as “Bloomington” and “bakers.”

The ingredients that make up a typical American cheese are all of the hard cheeses, both regular and cheddar, and contain a minimum of 51 percent milk fat, with most falling between 52 and 54 percent.

However, soft cheeses contain only more than 43 percent milk fat.

What is Swiss Cheese?

Swiss cheese is a type of cheese made from the fermented milk of cows and has holes called vents throughout. It’s also known for having a nutty, earthy flavour with hints of hay, grass, spices, and mustiness.

This type of cheese can be found in abundance in Switzerland. Swiss cheese is among the oldest cheeses in existence. It was first produced around 2000 BC by the people who lived in Switzerland.

Swiss cheese has been produced for centuries by cows grazing on the land near Switzerland, giving it its distinctive flavour. Swiss cheese can be found fresh on some farms and sold anytime, whereas others are aged up to 40 days.

The original form of Swiss cheese is Gruyere, which is considered the most popular of the three. Gruyere carries the strongest aroma, so it’s best kept away from stronger smells, such as garlic or onions.

However, Emmental and Tilsiter are also two well-known Swiss slices of cheese. Gruyere is a semi-soft, washed-rind cheese that comes from a mountainous area in Switzerland. It has a fruity aroma and a nutty flavour with hints of pepper or nutmeg.

Emmental Swiss Cheese is a semi-hard cheese with a sweet flavour and aroma, which makes it milder than Gruyere. Tilsiter is similar to Emmental but has holes throughout its body instead of just on top.

This cheese is reserved for older people because it tends to ferment quickly. Some people believe that this form of cheese was originally given to the Swiss as a gift, but it is now widely recognized as an integral part of Swiss culture.

Main Differences Between American and Swiss Cheese

1. American Cheese was originated from the United States of America, whereas Swiss Cheese was originated from Switzerland.
2. American Cheese is less flavorful, whereas Swiss Cheese is more flavorful.
3. American Cheese have only fewer nutrients present in it, whereas Swiss Cheese has more nutrients present in it.
4. American Cheese has a very less shelf life, whereas Swiss Cheese has a longer shelf life.
5. The texture of American Cheese is very lustrous, whereas Swiss Cheese is slightly harder.
6. American Cheese is low-priced, whereas Swiss Cheese is high-priced.

References

1. https://journals.asm.org/doi/pdf/10.1128/jb.6.4.379-393.1921
2. https://meridian.allenpress.com/jfp/article-abstract/48/1/63/166254