Will music make Swiss cheese tastier?

Project aims to show impact of sound on solid bodies

BERTHOUD, Switzerland — When searching for the perfect chunk of cheddar or parmesan, cheese aficionados have probably never grilled vendors over what kind of music was played to their cheeses.

To many, the question itself might sound crackers.

But a Swiss cheesemaker has embarked on an experiment to test the impact of music on Emmental, one of the most famous cheeses in Switzerland.

Marching through his 19th century cellar in Burgdorf, a town also known as Berthoud, on the edge of the Emmental region in central Switzerland, Beat Wampfler shows off hundreds of perfectly formed circles of the classic maturing in neat rows.

A veterinarian by day but a cheesemaker at night, Wampfler’s love for Emmental has aged well over the years like the finest stock he cultivates.

In one corner of his impeccably clean cellar, nine open wooden crates sit with wheels of Emmental inside and small music speakers directly below.

Since September, the cheeses have each been blasted with sonic masterpieces from the likes of rock gods Led Zeppelin to hip hop legends A Tribe Called Quest.

The project “Sonic cheese: experience between sound and gastronomy” hopes to show that the power of music can influence the development, characteristics and even flavor of the cheese.

“Bacteria is responsible for the formation of the taste of cheese, with the enzymes that influence its maturity. I am convinced that humidity, temperature or nutrients are not the only things that influence taste,” Wampfler said.

“Sounds, ultrasounds or music can also have physical effects,” he insisted.

The thought of playing rock ’n’ roll music to influence the flavor of cheese may make some scientists cringe.

Mozart or flamenco?

But parts of the scientific community have spent years analyzing the effect of sound on plants, and some mothersto-be believe playing classical music to their unborn child makes them smarter.

Music can create feelings, reaching inside people and stirring their senses into a fondue of emotions, in ways that can make people smile, cry or jump in elation.

Is potentially testing whether Roquefort is a fan of hard rock or if Queso is a follower of flamenco really so completely far-fetched?

The University of the Arts in Bern does not think so and is helping Wampfler conduct the experiment.

“At first we were sceptical,” admitted Michael Harenberg, the university’s music director. “Then we discovered there is a field called sonochemistry that looks at the influences of sound waves, the effect of sound on solid bodies.”

Scientists have experimented with sonochemistry, in particular looking into how ultrasound can affect chemical reactions.

With Wampfler’s refined cheeses, the pungent sounds played to them also include techno beats, ambient choirs and Mozart’s classic Magic Flute.

“We are trying to answer the question: in the end is there anything measurable? Or something that has an effect on the taste?” Harenberg said.

Students at the university are helping to conduct the project as part of a program launched last year to bring communities in the region together — in this case agriculture and the arts.

“At first we were a bit scared,” said program director Christian Pauli.

“We never thought we would find ourselves one day in a cellar in Burgdorf concerned about cheese,” he said.