Updated August 2026

January 2nd is National Swiss Cheese Day—the first of 30 cheese holidays you can celebrate.

But what Americans call “Swiss cheese” and what the Swiss call it are two different things.

There is no single “Swiss” cheese, and most Swiss cheeses don’t have large holes (called “eyes”).

Below:

> What is Swiss cheese, really?

> The year’s 30 cheese holidays.

Elsewhere on The Nibble:

> The history of cheese.

> The different types of cheese: a photo glossary.
 
 
THERE IS NO ONE SINGLE “SWISS” CHEESE 

Swiss cheese is the generic name used in the U.S. for several related varieties of cheese, inspired by those made in Switzerland.

Emmentaler (photo #1), which has large holes (properly known as eyes*), is the original cheese from Switzerland that Americans think of as “Swiss” cheese. Not all kinds of cheeses made in Switzerland have them.

In fact, there are some 450 known Swiss cheeses, classified into five categories.

These categories of Swiss cheese, and examples, include:

 
Cow’s milk is used in 99% of the cheeses produced (the same goes for Swiss-style cheeses made in the U.S.).

Here comes the confusion:

When émigré cheesemakers from Switzerland arrived in the U.S., some made Emmentaler-style cheeses which they sold as “Swiss cheese” (photo #1), possibly thinking that it was easier to remember than “Emmentaler.”

As a result, most Americans think of “Swiss cheese” as the cheese with big holes.

If you’re a “Swiss cheese” lover, try some authentic Emmentaler and taste the difference.
 
 
THE YEAR’S 30 CHEESE HOLIDAYS 

January 

 
February 

 
March 

 
April 

 
May 

 
June 

 
July 

 
August 

 
September 

 
October 

 
November 

[1] Emmentaler cheese from Switzerland (photo © DeLaurenti).

[2] Swiss émigrés to the U.S. made cheese according to the Emmentaler recipe they knew, but sold the cheese as “Swiss cheese” (photo © Wisconsin Cheese).

[3] Appenzeller cheese (photo © Artisanal Cheese).

[4] Gruyère. Swiss Gruyère is the original, with A.O.P. protection. Gruyère is also made on the other side of the border in France, but it must be labeled “French Gruyèere” (photo © Murray’s Cheese).

[5] Vacherin Fribourgeois. The canton of Fribourg (also the canton of Freiburg) is located in western Switzerland. Vacherin refers to a type of soft Swiss cow’s milk cheese. There are also French vacherins (photos #5 and #6 © Cheeses From Switzerland).

[6] Silky and luscious Vacherin Mont d’Or is crafted from cow’s milk produced during the fall and winter months when the herds spend their days munching straw and fodder instead of grazing on pasture. When ripe the cheese is spoonable/spreadable. Mont d’Or is a mountain that lies between the Swiss canton of Vaudo and the French Jura.

‡Emmentaler is the modern German spelling; Emmenthaler is an older variant, considered out-of-date. Emmental refers to the region (the Emme Valley of Switzerland); Emmentaler refers to the cheese from that region. Since 2006, the cheese produced in the Emme Valley has had a Protected Designation of Origin (AOP) status. The official, legally recognized name is Emmentaler AOP.
 

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