Some 245 cheese factories in Switzerland produce Emmental, accounting for 50% of all its cheese exports. In 2003, the Swiss produced 34,634 metric tons of Emmental and exported nearly 80%.

In the early Middle Ages the Emmental, that little-known region between Berne and Lucerne, was covered by extensive forests. No one had ever heard of Swiss cheese, there were no farms, no tourists,… ...

The experiment, titled "Cheese in Surround Sound," started last fall with nine 22-pound wheels of Emmental cheese placed in nine separate wooden crates.

In 1990, there were 800 Emmental cheese producers in Switzerland. Now there are only 149 producing authentic Emmentaler AOC (Appellation d’Origine Contrôlée).

Out of possible 100 points, the Emmentaler scored 97.85 in the final round of judging Wednesday. The cheese was deemed the best of 2,615 entries from 22 countries.