Schwing!
Entelbucher Schwingerkäse comes from the Swiss town of Entelbuch in the Canton of Lucerne. Entelbuch is probably most famous for a breed of cattle dog called the Entelbucher Sennenhund or simply the Entelbucher. I'm not sure what the actual translation of "Schwingerkäse" would be in English, maybe "swing cheese". The verb "schwingen" means to swing or to beat or to oscillate. The name may come from some production process that involes beating or swinging the cheese around or may be named after someone named "Schwing". My research uncovered no origins for the name. "Käse", pronounced kay-za, is the German word for cheese.

The cheese is similar in flavor, color and texture to what we most think of as "Swiss cheese". It lacks the sharpness of a Gruyère or Emmentaler but has the same undertones of flavor and notes of fresh bread. The color is a very pale whitish yellow and there are only a few small holes.

It's a good cheese but the price is steep and not one I'd recommend when its equals can be found much cheaper.

Name: Entelbucher Schwingerkäse
Type of Milk: Cow, Unpasteurized
Type: semi-hard
Produced in: Switzerland, Tirol, Spezialitätenkäserei Doppleschwand AG
Date Produced: Unknown
Date Purchased: 10/23/2006
Date Eaten: 10/24/2006
Purchased Where: United States, North Carolina, Raleigh, A Southern Season
Price: $21.99/lb.

When most people think of "Swiss cheese" they most likely think of the original or some variation of Emmentaler, a pale yellow, semi-hard cheese with large air holes. The name and spelling can be a little confusing. You will often see it listed as emmental, emmenthal, emmenthaler and emmentaler (both capitalized and lower case). The Emme is a river in Switzerland. "Thal" or "Tal" means "valley" in German. The "h" is silent so both are pronounced the same and in modern usage the "h" is usually left out altogether. So the "Emmental" is the valley through which the Emme river flows. Someone or something from that valley, like a cheese, would be an "Emmentaler", capitalized because the river and the person are proper nouns and because ALL nouns in German are capitalized. So my perferred name and the name protected by denomination is "Emmentaler". ("Emmentaler Switzerland®" is the protected name.)

Emmentaler is a pleasant swiss cheese. Compared to most "Swiss cheese" found on supermarket shelves it is packed with flavor. Compared to so many other cheeses, say Gruyere or Leerdammer, though it is a little bland. I like it with fruit like apples or pears or for breakfast on toast with berry jam.

For economy-sake look for center-cut pieces, offering more edible center and less inedible hard rind. More holes may look nicer and you aren't paying for the air that fills them so if you like the looks, choose cuts that have them.

Name: Emmentaler or Emmenthaler or Emmental or Emmenthaler
Type of Milk: Cow, Pasteurized
Type: semi-hard
Produced in: Switzerland
Date Produced: Unknown
Date Purchased: 11/17/2006
Date Eaten: 11/18/2006
Purchased Where: United States, North Carolina, Raleigh, Whole Foods
Price: $7.99/lb.

"Tête de Moine" is French for "monk's head" (not to be confused with "Têtes des Moines"-- "Des Moines heads"). I have heard three possible origins for the cheese's name. One story claims that when the inventory of cheese was done at the Bellelay abbey where the cheese is made, it was counted out as one per monk, one per monk's head. The second story states that the abbey paid its taxes with its only valuable good, its cheese. Like all taxes these were thought to be rather high and rather than say they cost "an arm and a leg" they said the cost was a whole monk's head. The third tale is of Napoleon's army moving through the town and thinking the round cheese with its missing top resembled a monk's tonsure. They called the cheese "Tête de Moine". It's possible one, none or all of these stories are true. Names are tricky things. Traditionally Tête de Moine is served via a device called a Girolle. Think if a round wooden board with a long nail through the center. The nail punches through the center of the cheese and then has a handled blad attached that shaves away the top of the cheese. When done slowly and with enough pressure, florettes of cheese, also called Girolles, are produced.