Why does Swiss cheese have holes?

Terminology & naming confusion

• Many comments stress that U.S. “Swiss cheese” usually means Emmental/Emmentaler-style cheese (large round “eyes”), not “any cheese from Switzerland.”
• Several point out that Gruyère in Switzerland has no holes, while “Gruyère” in France (and some industrial “Gruyère” elsewhere) does have holes, further confusing things.
• In some countries (France, Spain, UK, Netherlands), “Swiss cheese” or local equivalents casually mean “holey cheese” (Emmental or Gruyère-like), even when labels say something else.
• Commenters note strict protected names in Europe (AOP/PGI), marketing rebrands (e.g. “Emmentaler”), and how some names (Gruyère, Emmental, Parmesan) have become generic abroad.

Why holes, and why big ones?

• The basic mechanism is agreed: bacteria produce gas during aging, forming “eyes” (holes); one commenter jokingly calls them “bacterial farts.”
• A side discussion asks why there are a few big holes rather than many tiny ones; speculation includes merging of small bubbles and gas diffusing into existing holes.
• Different cheeses use the same general mechanism but with different hole size/number (Baby Swiss, “lacey” Swiss, Havarti).
• A linked Tom Scott video and a 2015 scientific paper are cited: modern sanitation reduced particles that seeded holes, so cleaner processes initially caused “hole loss” until adjusted.

Quality, exports, and “junk cheese”

• One claim: Swiss producers export lower-quality, holey cheese to countries like the U.S. and keep the best for themselves.
• Pushback: Swiss commenters say quality for named cheeses (Emmental, Gruyère, Sbrinz, Appenzeller) is tightly regulated; substandard wheels become generic shredded cheese, not exports.
• Others frame it as profit maximization: regions export whatever a given market will pay for, which may be milder or younger cheese if that’s what foreign palates prefer.

American vs European food and cheese culture

• Long tangent comparing U.S. and European cheese: some describe U.S. supermarket “Swiss” as bland and waxy compared to European Emmentaler.
• Debate over “American cheese”: some defend real American cheese (with emulsifiers) as technically straightforward and great for melting; others criticize “cheese product” slices and powdered Parmesan.
• Several discuss how many cheese types U.S. stores now stock versus the stereotype of only “American, Swiss, Cheddar.”
• Broader arguments emerge about bread quality, fresh bakeries, bagels, and how local culture and density shape food standards and discernment.

Humor & analogies

• Multiple jokes: holes as a way to “sell more cheese,” Swiss dwarfs hiding in holes, Swiss cheese models of safety, rats eating holes, and “bacterial farts.”
• Comparisons to Danish pastry (“wienerbrød” from Vienna), “tasty cheese” in Australia, and other country-name foods illustrate how language and branding diverge from geography and tradition.