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Raw materials/Variety/Race
The Gruyère AOC is a cheese made with raw milk obtained from cows nurtured principally (70% direct from dairy) with grass and hay.
Method of working/Cultivation/Breeding
The Gruyère AOC is daily made in copper cauldrons with raw milk delivered twice a day at the cheese dairy. The cows are nurtured all the year around with natural fodder. Fermented fodder and additives are forbidden. After a one day immersion in a salty bath, cheeses are stored on spruce boards and are ripened in maturing cellars. During the maturing stage which lasts at least five months (the time necessary for the Gruyère AOC to get its flavour), the rounds of cheese are regularly turned over and brushed with salted water. The Gruyère AOC Réserve matures for 10 months or more; the Gruyère AOC d'Alpage is made during summer in the high pastures of the Prealps and Jura regions and the Gruyère AOC Bio is made with milk coming from farms which scrupulously follow the operational guidelines of Bio Suisse. From now on, the mention Gruyère AOC and the identification number of the cheese dairy appears directly on the cheese in order to guarantee its authenticity. This marking is made thanks to a special tool which gives to the cheese its relief.
Aspect and Taste
The Gruyère AOC is a round cheese with slightly convex sides and an uniform brownish rind. It is between 55 and 65 cm in diameter, between 9,5 and 12 cm in height and between 25 and 40 kg in weight. The cheese is smooth to the touch with a slightly damp feel. It is soft, reasonably firm and crumbly. Its even ivory colouring varies according to the season. The presence of holes in the cheese is desirable but not essential. The holes have a diameter of 4-6 mm. Small individual cracks are permitted. The texture is fine and smooth. Depending on the amount of salt in the cheese, the dominant fruity taste varies according to the region of origin and to the duration of the refining which lasts from 5 up to 15 months.
Production Zone
The production area of Gruyère AOC includes the cantons of Fribourg, Vaud, Neuchâtel, Jura and a part of the canton of Berne.
History
If the name of the Gruyère AOC existed already in 1655 through the form Gruière, the production method of the cheese dates back to previous times. In the Medieval Ages, the pastures of the Gruyère area were occupied by dairy cattle. A document established in 1115 by the first Count of Gruyère makes mention of some cheese productions in the mountains of Gruyère. In the 16th century, some measures started to be taken in order to protect the origin of the Gruyère cheese which was becoming the prey of imitations. In 1962, the origin area of the Gruyère was protected by the Indication géographique certification and in 2001, the cheese got the AOC registration.
Gastronomy
The Gruyère AOC should be kept in the refrigerator. It can be used to prepare many warm or cold dishes, from the most simple to the most elaborated. The fondue is surely the most famous warm dish made with Gruyère AOC.
Marketing
The product is sold as Gruyère AOC. It exists in different typologies: Gruyère AOC, Gruyère AOC d'Alpage, Gruyère AOC Réserve and Gruyère AOC Bio. It is marketed in portions.
Distinctive features
The Gruyère AOC is a completely natural product. Each step of the production, from the foddering of the cows to the refining of the cheeses in cellars, follows natural methods. The different production areas guarantee a large variety of flavours.