Gruyere cheese

Do you know where a tender, unforgettable creamy taste is born? - In the endless alpine meadows in the western part of Switzerland. The famous gruyere or gruyère cheese has become a kind of symbol of the oldest school of Swiss cheese making. Gruyere got its original name thanks to the historical territory located in the Gruyere district of the same name, where in the Middle Ages they began to make hard cheese with the same name.

Foodies and connoisseurs, as well as professional cheesemakers, call gruyere cheese a Swiss cheese classic. In fact, this variety of cheese can be ranked among the "gold fund" of the Swiss cheese factory. Gruyere cheese differs in its appearance and consistency from other similar types of product. The cheese mass of gruyere is dense and almost uniform.

It is very rare to find natural holes in gruyere cheese or, as the people call the result of natural fermentation, "cheese holes. " Gruyere cheese has found widespread use in cooking. The product is served as a stand-alone snack or dessert as part of a cheese plate. In addition, it is gruyere who is called cheese for the famous national Swiss dish Fondue.

Translated from French, Fondue's name for the world-famous dish sounds like "melted. " Fondue is just the case when by the name you can determine the way to prepare a culinary product. As a rule, gruer cheese in a special fondue container called catnelone is placed on an open fire.

In addition to gruyere cheese, garlic, nuts, wine and in some cases strong alcoholic beverages are used in the preparation process for fondue. Gruyère cheese is distinguished by its flavorful, both savoury and nutty flavors. Since 2001, gruyere cheese, like many other authentic Swiss cheese brands, has been listed as products with controlled origins.

This means that only a product produced in the strictly defined cantons of Switzerland can be called gruyere cheese. It is worth noting that the first mention of gruyere cheese was found by researchers in written historical sources dating back to 111

5. Gruyere cheese acquires its distinctive taste as well as consumer characteristics thanks to the unique production method of the product.

After the cheese mass is formed, gruyere is placed in special cellars for ripening, where the product is preserved for at least half a year. cheese heads are periodically washed with salt water and turned over. As a result of this production method, several basic types of gruyere cheese are obtained:



sweet or doux (aged 5 months);

semi salty or mi-salé (8 months exposure);

salty or salé (9-month exposure);

higher grade or urchoix (1 year exposure);

old or vieux (more than 15 months exposure).