A.

The holes in Swiss cheese are the result of a beneficial bacteria call shermanii, which, under the right conditions, produces carbon dioxide. Swiss cheese is made at a warm temperature (about 70° Fahrenheit) so the cheese is soft and mailable as it ferments. As the bacteria grow, CO2 gas is released, creating the signature bubbles—or eyes as cheesemakers call them. Once the cheese is cooled, it solidifies with the holes intact. If a batch comes out with no holes, it is considered “blind.”