The most famous of all cheeses is named after the Emme valley in the canton of Berne. The making of Emmentaler can be traced back to the twelfth century. Originally it was only produced in summer up on the mountain in much smaller amounts – just enough for the farmers and their families and as tithes to landowners. Since the first of the cheese dairies was opened in the valley in 1815, the area of origin of Emmentaler has expanded to include the entire plateau across the north and north-west of Switzerland.