Just the same as those other world famous Swiss cheeses; emmental and Gruyere, this mildly flavoured, yet vividly aromatic cheese sports those trademark "Swiss Cheese" holes. Originally produced in Holland, this smelly, yet delightful cheese was exported to Prussia during the eighteenth century, where it gained quite some fame. It was a full century later that tilsit journeyed back west - this time to Switzerland, which has now become its traditional home.
And again, just like its famous cousins, emmental and gruyere - tilsit has melting properties that are perhaps second to no other cheese. This band of Swiss cheeses are unwaveringly used in fondue dishes, due to their ability to impart a present, yet gentle flavour, and melt with tongue-stroking smoothness. Don't fret if you have no hot cheese meltdown party planned, as tilsit's ability to melt perfectly into fondue, means that it melts sensationally into plenty of other dishes as well. The first that leap to mind are omelettes, soufflés and decadent grilled sandwiches.
Got a wedge of yellow, plenty-of-holes, Swiss style cheese in your fridge, without a label? Here is how to sort the boys from the men. If it has a cheesy, but not overpowering aroma, and is mildly sweet - emmental is the fromage in your paws. If the aroma is once again middleweight, but the cheese is noticeably sweet, Gruyere is the likely culprit.
Tilsit, on the other hand, requires no detective work - one sniff is all it takes.
Did you ever smell gym socks in the summer?