Eye Cheese

What is eye cheese?

One of the world’s most recognisable cheese styles, known for its signature holes—or, as they’re famously called, “eyes”.

Smooth, supple and loved for their sweet, nutty flavours, eye cheeses fall into two main categories:

• Hard-cooked cheeses like Emmental, Gruyère and Tilsit. These are heated to around 52^°C to remove moisture and firm up the curd (this results in a denser texture).
• Semi-cooked cheeses like Raclette, Gouda and Edam. These are heated to about 38^°C, allowing them to release some moisture and firm the curd.

So, where do the "eyes" or holes come from?

They’re formed by Propionibacterium shermanii, a gas-producing bacteria that releases carbon dioxide as the cheese matures. Over a two-to-four-week period in warm maturing rooms (around 20^°C), the gas creates pockets in the curd, giving the cheese its signature look. Regular turning ensures the eyes are evenly distributed. That’s not all. Some eye cheeses have washed rinds which impart complex barnyard flavours into the cheese while others are waxed and very mild and sweet in flavour. Most eye cheeses have a recognisable and characteristic sweet, nutty flavour.

The final word? A good eye cheese should be smooth, satiny and free of cracks. The eyes should glisten, not sweat.