Gruyère (, , ; , ) is a hard
Swiss cheese that originated in the cantons of
Fribourg
or is the capital of the Cantons of Switzerland, Swiss canton of Canton of Fribourg, Fribourg and district of Sarine (district), La Sarine. Located on both sides of the river Saane/Sarine, on the Swiss Plateau, it is a major economic, adminis ...
,
Vaud
Vaud ( ; , ), more formally Canton of Vaud, is one of the Cantons of Switzerland, 26 cantons forming the Switzerland, Swiss Confederation. It is composed of Subdivisions of the canton of Vaud, ten districts; its capital city is Lausanne. Its coat ...
,
Neuchâtel
Neuchâtel (, ; ; ) is a list of towns in Switzerland, town, a Municipalities of Switzerland, municipality, and the capital (political), capital of the cantons of Switzerland, Swiss canton of Neuchâtel (canton), Neuchâtel on Lake Neuchâtel ...
,
Jura, and
Berne in
Switzerland
Switzerland, officially the Swiss Confederation, is a landlocked country located in west-central Europe. It is bordered by Italy to the south, France to the west, Germany to the north, and Austria and Liechtenstein to the east. Switzerland ...
. It is named after the town of
Gruyères in Fribourg. In 2001, Gruyère gained the (AOC), which became the (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
An eye is a sensory organ that allows an organism to perceive visual information. It detects light and converts it into electro-chemical impulses in neurons (neurones). It is part of an organism's visual system.
In higher organisms, the ey ...
, although in the 19th century, this was not always the case. The small cracks that can develop in Gruyère cheese are often referred to as "eyes". These eyes are round or irregularly shaped holes that are formed during the aging process. It is the most popular Swiss cheese in Switzerland and in most of Europe.
Uses
Gruyère is used in many ways in countless dishes. It is considered a good cheese for baking, because of its distinctive but not overpowering taste. For example in
quiche
Quiche ( ) is a French tart consisting of a pastry crust filled with savoury custard and pieces of cheese, meat, seafood or vegetables. A well-known variant is quiche lorraine, which includes lardons or bacon. Quiche may be served hot, wa ...
, Gruyère adds savoriness without overshadowing the other ingredients. It is a good melting cheese, particularly suited for
fondue
Fondue ( , , , ; ) is a Swiss dish of melted cheese and wine served in a communal pot ( or fondue pot) over a portable stove () heated with a candle or spirit lamp, and eaten by dipping bread and sometimes vegetables or other foods into the c ...
s, 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
salad
A salad is a dish consisting of mixed ingredients, frequently vegetables. They are typically served chilled or at room temperature, though some can be served warm. Condiments called '' salad dressings'', which exist in a variety of flavors, a ...
s and
pasta
Pasta (, ; ) is a type of food typically made from an Leavening agent, unleavened dough of wheat flour mixed with water or Eggs as food, eggs, and formed into sheets or other shapes, then cooked by boiling or baking. Pasta was originally on ...
s. It is used, grated, atop
le tourin, a garlic soup from France served on dried bread. White wines, such as
Riesling
Riesling ( , ) is a white grape variety that originated in the Rhine region. Riesling is an aromatic grape variety displaying flowery, almost perfumed, aromas as well as high acidity. It is used to make dry, semi-sweet, sweet, and sparkling ...
, pair well with Gruyère. Sparkling
cider
Cider ( ) is an alcoholic beverage made from the Fermented drink, fermented Apple juice, juice of apples. Cider is widely available in the United Kingdom (particularly in the West Country) and Ireland. The United Kingdom has the world's highest ...
and
Bock
Bock () is a strong German beer, usually a dark lager.
History
The style now known as ''Bock'' was first brewed in the 14th century in the Hanseatic town of Einbeck in Lower Saxony.
The style was later adopted in Bavaria by Munich brewers ...
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
Rennet () is a complex set of enzymes produced in the stomachs of ruminant mammals. Chymosin, its key component, is a protease, protease enzyme that curdling, curdles the casein in milk. In addition to chymosin, rennet contains other enzymes, su ...
. The
curd
Curd is obtained by Denaturation (biochemistry), coagulating milk in a sequential process called curdling. It can be a final dairy product or the first stage in cheesemaking. The coagulation can be caused by adding rennet, a Kefir cheese, ...
is cut up into pea-sized pieces and stirred, releasing
whey
Whey is the liquid remaining after milk has been curdled and strained. It is a byproduct of the manufacturing of cheese or casein and has several commercial uses. Sweet whey is a byproduct resulting from the manufacture of rennet types of hard c ...
. 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
Brine (or briny water) is a high-concentration solution of salt (typically sodium chloride or calcium chloride) in water. In diverse contexts, ''brine'' may refer to the salt solutions ranging from about 3.5% (a typical concentration of seawat ...
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.
Sérac, a whey cheese, is a historical by-product of the manufacture of Gruyère.
Affinage
An important and the longest part of the production of Gruyère in Switzerland is the (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
Humidity is the concentration of water vapor present in the air. Water vapor, the gaseous state of water, is generally invisible to the human eye. Humidity indicates the likelihood for precipitation (meteorology), precipitation, dew, or fog t ...
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.
Legal protection
Switzerland
In 2001, Gruyère gained the Appellation d'origine contrôlée (now designated
Appellation d'origine protégée) 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".
French Gruyère may be produced in an area much larger than the Swiss AOP area. The PGI documentation also requires that French Gruyère has holes "ranging in size from that of a pea to a cherry", a significant departure from the Swiss original. Peter Ungphakorn, a Swiss local and an international trade expert, comments that the French
Comté cheese
Comté () is a List of French cheeses, French cheese made from unpasteurized cow's milk in the Franche-Comté region of eastern France bordering Switzerland and sharing much of its cuisine. Comté has the highest production of all French Appella ...
could be a closer match to the Swiss version.
[ ]
United States
In 2021, a
U.S. District Court ruled that the term "gruyere" had become a
generic term
Trademark distinctiveness is an important concept in the law governing trademarks and service marks. A trademark may be eligible for registration, or registrable, if it performs the essential trademark function, and has distinctive character. Re ...
for a certain type of cheese, and Swiss and French Gruyère producers' associations could not register it as a
trademark
A trademark (also written trade mark or trade-mark) is a form of intellectual property that consists of a word, phrase, symbol, design, or a combination that identifies a Good (economics and accounting), product or Service (economics), service f ...
in the United States. The
U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit affirmed that decision in March 2023.
Swiss Gruyère still has a protected
certification mark
A certification mark on a commercial product or service is a registered Mark (sign), mark that enables its owner ("certification body") to certify that the goods or services of a particular provider (who is not the owner of the certification ...
in the US as "Le Gruyère Switzerland AOC", secured in 2013.
[
The FDA standards of identity for a "§ 133.149 Gruyere cheese" requires "small holes or eyes".][
]
Varieties
Gruyere (as a Swiss 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 Alps, Alpine region of Switzerland, conventionally referred to as the Swiss Alps, represents a major natural feature of the country and is, along with the Swiss Plateau and the Swiss portion of the Jura Mountains, one of its three main Physica ...
and is branded as 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 (cave aged), but these age profiles are not part of the AOC.
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 five times: in 1992, 2002, 2005, 2015, and 2022.
Similar cheeses
L'Etivaz is a very similar Swiss hard cheese from the canton of Vaud. It is made from raw cow's milk and is very similar to aged Gruyère in taste. In the 1930s, a group of 76 Gruyère producing families felt that government regulations were allowing cheesemakers to compromise the qualities that made good Gruyère so special. They withdrew from the government's Gruyère program, and "created" their own cheese - L'Etivaz - named for the village around which they all lived. They founded a cooperative
A cooperative (also known as co-operative, coöperative, co-op, or coop) is "an autonomy, autonomous association of persons united voluntarily to meet their common economic, social and cultural needs and aspirations through a jointly owned a ...
in 1932, and the first cheese cellars were built in 1934.
The French Le Brouère cheese, made in nearby Vosges
The Vosges ( , ; ; Franconian and ) is a range of medium mountains in Eastern France, near its border with Germany. Together with the Palatine Forest to the north on the German side of the border, they form a single geomorphological unit and ...
, is considered a variant of Gruyère.
('' graviera'') is a popular Greek cheese which resembles Gruyère and is an EU Protected Designation of Origin
The protected designation of origin (PDO) is a type of geographical indication of the European Union aimed at preserving the designations of origin of food-related products. The designation was created in 1992 and its main purpose is to designat ...
. There are Naxian varieties (produced from cow's milk) that tend to be milder and sweeter, and various ''gravieras'' from Crete
Crete ( ; , Modern Greek, Modern: , Ancient Greek, Ancient: ) is the largest and most populous of the Greek islands, the List of islands by area, 88th largest island in the world and the List of islands in the Mediterranean#By area, fifth la ...
, 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
Wisconsin ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the Great Lakes region, Great Lakes region of the Upper Midwest of the United States. It borders Minnesota to the west, Iowa to the southwest, Illinois to the south, Lake Michigan to the east, Michig ...
having the largest output, and in Bosnia under the name ''Livanjski sir'' (Livno
Livno ( Serbo-Croatian Cyrillic: ''Ливно'', ) is a town and the administrative center of the Township of Livno and Canton 10 of the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina, an entity of Bosnia and Herzegovina. It is situated on the river Bis ...
cheese).
See also
*
*
* Swiss cheeses and dairy products
* Gruyère cream, another dairy product from the same region
* 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.
References
External links
Official website of Le Gruyère AOC
Gruyère cheese
in the online Culinary Heritage of Switzerland
The Culinary Heritage of Switzerland (, , , ) is a multilingual online encyclopedia of traditional Swiss cuisine and produce
In American English, produce generally refers to wikt:fresh, fresh List of culinary fruits, fruits and Vegetable, ...
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
Canton of Fribourg
Brined cheeses