Gruyère cheese

Gruyère (, , ; german: Greyerzer) is a hard Swiss cheese that originated in the cantons of Fribourg, Vaud, Neuchâtel, Jura, and Berne in Switzerland. It is named after the town of Gruyères in Fribourg. In 2001, Gruyère gained the ''appellation d'origine contrôlée'' (AOC), which became the ''appellation d'origine protégée'' (AOP) as of 2013.

Gruyère is classified as a Swiss-type or Alpine cheese and is sweet but slightly salty, with a flavour that varies widely with age. It is often described as creamy and nutty when young, becoming more assertive, earthy, and complex as it matures. When fully aged (five months to a year), it tends to have small cracks that impart a slightly grainy texture. Unlike Emmental, with which it is often confused, modern Gruyère has few if any eyes, although in the 19th century, this was not always the case. It is the most popular Swiss cheese in Switzerland, and in most of Europe.

Uses

Gruyère cheese is generally known as one of the finest cheeses for baking, having a distinctive but not overpowering taste. In quiche, Gruyère adds savoriness without overshadowing the other ingredients. It is a good melting cheese, particularly suited for fondues, along with Vacherin Fribourgeois and Emmental. It is also traditionally used in French onion soup, as well as in croque-monsieur, a classic French toasted ham and cheese sandwich. Gruyère is also used in chicken and veal cordon bleu. It is a fine table cheese, and when grated, it is often used with salads and pastas. It is used, grated, atop le tourin, a garlic soup from France served on dried bread. White wines, such as Riesling, pair well with Gruyère. Sparkling cider and Bock beer are also beverage affinities.

Production

To make Gruyère, raw cow's milk is heated to in a copper vat, and then curdled by the addition of liquid rennet. The curd is cut up into pea-sized pieces and stirred, releasing whey. The curd is cooked at , and raised quickly to .

The whey is strained, and the curds placed into moulds to be pressed. After salting in brine and smearing with bacteria, the cheese is ripened for two months at room temperature, generally on wooden boards, turning every couple of days to ensure even moisture distribution. Gruyère can be cured for 3 to 10 months, with long curing producing a cheese of intense flavour.

Legal protection

Switzerland

In 2001, Gruyère gained the Appellation d'origine contrôlée status. Since then, the production and the maturation have been strictly defined, and all Swiss Gruyère producers must follow these rules.

France

Although Gruyère is recognised as a Swiss Geographical Indication in the EU, Gruyère of French origin is also protected as a Protected Geographical Indication (PGI) in the EU. To avoid confusion, the EU PGI Gruyère must indicate that it comes from France and must make sure it cannot be confused with Gruyère from Switzerland. It, therefore, is generally sold as "French Gruyère".

United States

In 2021, a U.S. District Court ruled that the term "gruyere" had become a generic term and thus that the Swiss and French Gruyère producers' associations could not register it as a trademark in the United States.

Similar cheeses

Γραβιέρα (''graviera'') is a popular Greek cheese which resembles Gruyère and is an EU Protected Designation of Origin. There are Naxian varieties (produced from cow's milk) that tend to be milder and sweeter, and various ''gravieras'' from Crete, which are produced from sheep's milk.

Kars gravyer cheese is a Turkish cheese made of cow's milk or a mixture of cow's and goat's milk. Gruyère-style cheeses are also produced in the United States, with Wisconsin having the largest output, and in Bosnia under the name ''Livanjski sir'' (Livno cheese).

Affinage

An important and the longest part of the production of Gruyère in Switzerland is the ''affinage'' (French for 'maturation').

According to the AOC, the cellars to mature a Swiss Gruyère must have a climate close to a natural cave. This means that the humidity should be between 94% and 98%. If the humidity is lower, the cheese dries out. If the humidity is too high, the cheese does not mature and becomes smeary and gluey. The temperature of the caves should be between . This relatively high temperature is required for excellent-quality cheese. Lower-quality cheeses result from temperatures between . The lower the temperature, the less the cheese matures, resulting in a harder and more crumbly texture.

Varieties

Le Gruyère Switzerland AOC has many varieties with different age profiles, and an organic version of the cheese is also sold. A special variety is produced only in summer in the Swiss Alps: the Le Gruyère Switzerland AOC Alpage.

Generally, one can distinguish the age profiles of mild/''doux'' (minimum five months old) and ''réserve'', also known as ''surchoix'' (minimum ten months old). In Switzerland, other age profiles can be found, including ''mi-salé'' (7–8 months), ''salé'' (9–10 months), ''vieux'' (14 months), and Höhlengereift (cave aged), but these age profiles are not part of the AOC.

The French Le Brouère cheese, made in nearby Vosges, is considered a variant of Gruyère.

Le Gruyère AOP Premier Cru

Le Gruyère Premier Cru is a special variety, produced and matured exclusively in the canton of Fribourg and matured for 14 months in cellars with a humidity of 95% and a temperature of .

It is the only cheese that has won the title of the best cheese in the world at the World Cheese Awards four times: in 1992, 2002, 2005, and 2015.

See also

* – an online encyclopedia
*

* Palazzo della Civiltà Italiana in Rome, known locally as (literally ); so known because it is "full of holes", referring to the stereotype of Swiss cheese.

Notes and references

External links

Official website of Le Gruyère AOC

Gruyère cheese
in the online Culinary Heritage of Switzerland database.
An article
on the history and controversy of Swiss versus French claims to Gruyère cheese.

{{DEFAULTSORT:Gruyere (Cheese)
Swiss cheeses
Cow's-milk cheeses
Culinary Heritage of Switzerland
Smear-ripened cheeses