Gruyere cheese is one of the famous Swiss cheeses known all over the world. The cheese got its name from the village in the Friborg Valley, where it was first produced.

Gruyere is made from whole cow's milk and matures for five months or longer. It is a hard cheese with a pale yellow color and a slightly nutty flavor. Gruyere cheese may or may not have small holes.

History of Gruyere cheese

This cheese was first produced back in 1115. The tradition of cheese production continues today.

The Gruyeres region was famous for its cheese production back then. The cheese was famous in France and Italy.

The 17th century marks an important stage in the production of cheese. It was in the 17th century that this cheese became known as Gruyere. The era of cheese export boom begins. At this time, the cheese begins to be labeled, thereby asserting its rights to produce cheese under this name.

In the 18th and 19th centuries, due to the large emigration, cheese began to be produced not only in the town of Gruyeres, but also in other regions of Switzerland and even in France.

In 2001, Gruyere cheese received AOC status - controlled designation of origin of the product. This means that only cheese that is produced in the Swiss catones of Neuchâtel, Jura, Born and Vaud can be called so.

In 2011, Gruyere cheese produced in Switzerland received a protected designation throughout Europe. The cheese produced in Switzerland is marked as LE GRUYRE, the country of origin of SWITZERLAND is written at the bottom and a red-blue square is written on the side.

Gruyere cheese production

To this day, 100% of the traditional technology of cheese production has been preserved, which has been passed down from generation to generation, which gives the cheese its unique taste and impeccable quality. Cheese production is strictly regulated at every stage, starting with milk.

The cows that provide milk for cheese production graze exclusively on natural pastures in the summer. And in autumn and winter, they get natural hay without additives and silage. Twice a day, in the morning and in the evening, each milk producer gives it to the dairy to which he is attached.

Morning milk is poured into a copper vat with evening milk, which has been settled all night.

The cheesemaker adds a sourdough made from whey to ripen the milk.

Then rennet, a natural ingredient extracted from the calf stomach, is added to curdle the milk.

After 35-40 minutes, the milk will turn into a beautiful thick mass. Until the milk is heated, this mass retains all its aromas. This is one of the qualities of milk.

Then the vats with milk are gradually heated to a temperature of 57 degrees for 40-45 minutes with constant stirring.

After the granules of cottage cheese are the size of a grain of wheat, a sample is taken and the texture is checked.

The resulting granular curd is poured into round molds and pressed for about 20 hours.

The next day, the pressed cottage cheese wheels are removed from the mold and placed in a 22% salt solution for 24 hours.

Then the ripening of the cheese begins. The cheese wheels are stored for three months in the manufacturer's basement. After three months, the cheese is placed in caves to slowly ripen the cheese at a humidity of 90% and a temperature of 15 degrees. During this time, the wheels are brushed with salt water. Ripening of cheese lasts from 5 to 18 months.

After 5 months of aging, the cheese goes on sale.

Depending on the ripening period, Gruyere cheese tastes differently. 6 to 9 months - this is a mild and sophisticated cheese flavor. This cheese is called classic.

Starting from 10 months, the cheese acquires a delicate aromatic taste.

Starting from 18 months or more, the cheese becomes vigorous.

Uses of Gruyere cheese

Gruyere cheese is known as one of the best cheeses for baking, which has a distinctive, but not overpowering, flavor and aroma. Gruyère melts well, making it good for fondue.

In addition, this cheese can be used in sandwiches, salads and pastas.

How to replace Gruyere cheese

Gruyere cheese is a hard cheese. Therefore, it can be replaced with any hard cheese, including our Russian ones. But, unfortunately, its delicate sweetish nutty aroma can hardly be replaced with anything.

Interesting Facts

To obtain a cheese head weighing 80 kg, 800 liters of natural whole milk are used.

Gruyere cheese is produced only during the warmer months, from June to September. It was at this time that there was an abundance of herbs and flowers in the pastures, which give such a unique aroma to the cheese.

The cheese is so famous all over the world that producers organize excursions to the factories where the cheese is produced. Therefore, being in Switzerland in the summer, it is possible to see the production of cheese and get small samples of cheese with different ripening periods.

Watch the video how Gruyere cheese is made

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This city is considered the capital of fondue. But fondue would never have appeared without a gruyere. And Gruyere would not have appeared without Gruyere. Does the last sentence sound like gibberish? Then I'll clarify: Gruyere is both cheese and a small town where this cheese was first produced.

But first about the cheese.

La Maison du Gruyere cheese dairy is located in Gruyere, where the production process of the cheese of the same name can be viewed in a special museum. Admission is paid, but for Switzerland the price that is asked for admission is more than humane, besides, the ticket price includes several small pieces of cheese with different aging periods. First, you will be offered an exposition that tells about the herbs of the Alpine meadows and the cows from whose milk this cheese is obtained. If you are going to those places - I give the address:

La maison du gruyere

After that, you can go to the corridor, separated by glass from the workshop where the cheese is produced. The production process, in general, is not much different from the production of standard cheese. First, the milk is heated to 34 degrees, the sourdough and rennet are added, which separates the whey from the curd.

A special apparatus cuts the curd mass into small pieces and mixes it in whey, which is already subjected to more intense heating. At this time, the curd mass acquires properties that ultimately allow it to become a monolithic whole with the help of presses, which are visible in the right half of the workshop.

After that, large heads of cheese are immersed in the brine, but now, as you can see, the brine is idle: the process of making cheese takes several months, and it is kept in brine only for a day.

The longest stage in the production of Gruyeres is maturation, where it is stored at a certain humidity and temperature, regularly inverted and moistened with brine. The result is a standard Gruyere head weighing about 35 kilograms. This, unfortunately, is not real, otherwise too many would try to pinch off a piece.

There was also a map of Swiss cheeses in the museum, but I am convinced that this is one big hoax. Everyone knows that Switzerland is one of the great cheese powers in Europe, sources mention almost 500 varieties of cheese that are produced here, and this is not in doubt. However, if you dig a little deeper, try to find these 500 varieties - and it turns out that the cheese is there, but it ... is not. Gruyère and a dozen more well-known varieties are on hearing, but you will not find almost any mention of the rest! It's the same story with cheese dairies: they seem to be there, but somewhere out there, and it's impossible to get to them. Compare with France or Italy, where each village has its own kind of cheese, unlike the others! .. Why so - I am at a loss, but I suspect that the beautiful story about Swiss cheese is just a cover for some other cases, about which it is better dont know.

At the very end, of course, there is a shop where you can buy not only cheese, but also ready-made fondue. The most popular type of fondue in these places is called moitie-moitie. This translates roughly as "half-and-half" and refers to the ratio of Gruyeres and Vacheron Friborgois. In addition to cheese, the composition contains wine, a thickener, and you can estimate the price yourself, given that 1 Swiss franc is now approximately equal to 1 US dollar.

You have already seen how Gruyere is made today, but in such copper kettles, cheese was cooked before the industrial revolution.

Having got acquainted with Gruyere, you can take a walk around Gruyere. It is beautiful here: where there are mountains, it is always beautiful.

But it's not just the mountains: Gruyeres turns out to be a small but very pretty town, and in addition to a castle. The road is paved with cobblestones and leads to the castle, framed by buildings as old as they are beautiful.

Small but cozy church.

At some point, however, all this decorous Middle Ages is rather unceremoniously interrupted by installations in the style of a shocking high-tech.

Here is the museum of the artist Giger, who created costumes for "Alien" and other science fiction films. As I understand it, the inside is about the same, if you are a fan - perhaps you need to go there.

You can go inside the castle, or you can simply go around it around the perimeter and look at the views opening at its foot. Nice in places.

In places, usually.

And the castle is powerful!

Here's how. The windows, of course, were only cut open later, after the stronghold lost its strategic importance.

A few more views of the surroundings of Gruyeres and the mountains. The place is pretty, albeit quiet.

However, for many, “quiet” is an advantage, not a disadvantage, and I understand them. The alien, created by the artist Giger, for example, managed to sip on Hollywood fame, but decided to settle here, and apparently for a reason.

In general, if you decide to come to Gruyeres to see the production of cheese, be sure to take a walk.

You will not regret.

Switzerland is famous not only for hours and delicious chocolate, but also for excellent cheese. This country has long been entrenched in the status of a world producer of elite varieties of this dairy product.

Gruyere cheese is a fairly young variety, which traditionally got its name from the locality of production. It is not as popular as cheddar or parmesan, but it definitely deserves special attention. Who knows, maybe this particular cheese will win your heart after the first bite.

Gruyeres: interesting facts, description and origins

The cheese is made from the highest quality cow's milk, has a creamy yellowish color, rather dense texture and does not have holes. An interesting fact, but the first documentary mentions of this variety have been found since 1115, and since the beginning of the 17th century its official name - "Gruyère" appears in the records. Like most Swiss varieties, it was named for the locality in which it is produced. Only those cheeses that are produced in the following cantons (settlement areas) can bear the name "Gruyeres":

• Nevshtal;
• Friborg;
• Berne;

Nevertheless, this variety is considered young, because it received its official AOC status only in 2001 and from that moment was entered into the register.

Another interesting feature of this cheese is that it has a French "brother". French Gruyere includes Conte and Beaufort. Distinctive features of this cheese are: a more delicate texture and the obligatory presence of holes. According to reviews, Gruyere cheese is in no way inferior in taste to the most famous Swiss varieties, which is why it belongs to the category of the highest class and has the status of an elite one.

A find for real gourmets: the taste of the product

Gruyere can be classified as a sweet variety, however, like all cheese, it has a salty flavor. A distinctive feature is a pronounced creamy taste and subtle nutty tones. The ripening period greatly affects the taste of Gruyere cheese: over time, it acquires sharp and piquant notes with clearly perceptible earthy nuances. The longer the aging, the more complex the flavor and aroma of the cheese becomes. Aging also changes the structure and consistency of the finished product: after 5 months, the cheese becomes patchy, harsh and slightly grainy.

Secrets of making and ripening cheese

Manufacturing technology is quite simple:

• The milk is heated to 34 degrees and combines with sourdough (thermophilic bacteria) and rennet. For the preparation of cheese, only copper containers are used.
• Gradually, the mixture is curdled and divided into two fractions: whey and curd mass.
• The base is heated to a temperature of 54 degrees, the cooking process begins. It usually lasts no more than two hours. The readiness test is carried out by checking the mass for adhesion and elasticity.
• Then the mass goes through filtration and a press, which help to get rid of whey residues.
• Next, the process of soaking the semi-finished cheese in brine begins, which lasts 24 hours. During this time, the mass manages to be saturated with salt only half.

At this stage, the cooking stage ends, and we end up with a delicate slightly salted semi-finished product. Next comes the equally intense process of ripening Gruyere cheese:

• The cheese is placed in storage, where a certain temperature and humidity is maintained throughout the entire ripening period.
• For the first 10 days, the heads are constantly poured with saline and turned over, then this is done twice a week, and then, for three months, only once a week.

The first quality control of the cheese takes place in 4.5 months, each head is checked. If everything is in order, then the product goes on sale, if not, it remains in storage for further maturation. By age, Gruyere is divided into five types:

• young soft - 5 months;
• semi-salted - up to 8 months;
• salty - up to 10 months;
• top grade - from 1 year;
• old - more than 15 months.

For every taste: features of the Gruyere species

Each territory of cheese production has its own subtleties of making and aging, so each type of Gruyere acquires its own unique taste and specific features. Two types of cheese deserve special attention:

• Alpage - This type is very popular among lovers of pure organic products. After all, it is made only in the summer and only in the territories that adjoin the Swiss Alps.
• Premier Cru is famous for its exceptional taste due to the fact that it matures exclusively in the Friborg caves under unique climatic conditions.

It should be noted that this is a rather expensive pleasure, the price of Gruyere cheese in Moscow can reach 400 rubles per 100 grams. But believe me, it costs so much money, because it is not only amazingly tasty, but also extremely healthy.

Let's take a look inside: a detailed breakdown of the composition

This cheese cannot be called dietary, because it consists of one third of animal fats. It is very rich in protein - 29% per 100 g of product, and the rest is water. But do not be afraid of the fat content of Gruyere, because these are mainly polyunsaturated fatty and essential amino acids. Another useful component is ash, which has excellent adsorbing and antitoxic properties. Like any dairy product, Gruyere cheese is very rich in calcium - over 1000 mg per 100 g of product. Also in the composition you can find the following useful components:

• B vitamins;
• phosphorus;
• selenium;
• sodium;
• potassium;
• magnesium.

Useful properties of cheese

The usefulness of this cheese increases in proportion to its age, the longer the aging, the more valuable the product. Firstly, it is an excellent source of the most easily digestible protein, which is 100% broken down by our body. Secondly, hard cheeses are a source of rare elements, fatty acids and, of course, vitamins. Consider the effects of Swiss Gruyere cheese on the body:

• Increases the rate of cellular metabolism and regeneration processes. This significantly slows down aging and speeds up wound healing, for example, after surgery.
• It has a good effect on the nervous system, improves memory and helps to cope with depression. In addition, eating cheese has a beneficial effect on sleep.
• Calcium strengthens bones and teeth and keeps muscles in working order.
• It has a beneficial effect on pressure, gives a lot of strength and energy.
• Helps increase hemoglobin levels when consumed regularly.

In addition, it is a fairly high-calorie and nutritious product, and therefore is recommended for pregnant women, children and the elderly.

Can cheese be harmful?

You should not eat Gruyere cheese if you are diagnosed with the following diseases:

• disturbances in the work of the kidneys (nephritis, pyelonephritis);
• gastritis and hyperacidity in the stomach;
• hypertension and heart problems;
• urolithiasis disease;
• allergy.

Application of the product in cooking

This is a very versatile variety: it goes well with spaghetti, salads and even simple sandwiches. The cheese melts well and retains a viscous consistency for a long time, so it is indispensable in casseroles, julienne and fondue. Gruyere is excellent in its own right, it goes well with fruits and various sweet wines.

How to replace Gruyere cheese? If you liked some special recipe, but in your city there is a problem with elite varieties of Swiss cheese, you can safely use cheddar, parmesan or pecorino - these varieties are most suitable as analogues.

Gruyeres is a cheese native to Switzerland. It is considered a real landmark of this European country. It is produced almost 30 thousand tons per year. The features of this product, as well as how it can be replaced, will be discussed in our article.

The real Swiss cheese

Perhaps the phrase is a household word. It denotes a product, of course, cheese, of exceptional quality. And although more recently two countries - France and Switzerland - argued where exactly they first began to make Gruyeres, since 2001, cheese can officially consider Switzerland as its legal, documented homeland. Moreover, a special commission assigned him the status of “Denomination controlled by place of origin”. That is, only in this country (Switzerland) have the right to produce cheese under this brand and call it exactly "Gruyere". It is believed that this product began to be produced more than a thousand years ago. Just imagine how during this time the skill was perfected and all the nuances of its cooking were taken into account. Perhaps that is why Gruyere cheese is so popular in Europe and beyond.

Details about the taste and appearance of the product

Real Gruyere is a cheese made necessarily from unpasteurized cow's milk. It is best if the raw materials were obtained in the summer, when the cows graze on the famous and eat fresh, tasty grass. The consistency of the cheese is quite dense, there are no characteristic holes in it, and its ripening period is on average a year. But, despite this, already four months after making the cheese, you can eat it. Experts say that its taste resembles dry fruit, but as it ripens, it becomes more tart, pronounced, acquiring an "earthy" aftertaste. Of course, professional tasters know better which shades of taste and aroma a given cheese should have. Otherwise, Gruyere is recommended to be used for making fondue (a traditional Swiss dish, very simple and tasty - slices of bread, meat, etc. are dipped into the melted dairy product). In addition, it is an excellent addition to wine, as well as an addition to spaghetti, salads and other dishes where cheese is traditionally placed.

What can replace Gruyere cheese?

Of course, not everyone can find Gruyere cheese in stores. How to replace it if, for example, the recipe says that this particular variety must be used to prepare the dish? Here is what the experts advise: firstly, it should be borne in mind that Gruyere is very much, therefore, an analogue should be looked for with the same characteristic. Most suitable for replacing a Swiss delicacy are Emmental or Jarlsberg cheeses. The first name is better known to Russian housewives - Emmental cheese can be found and bought in any large supermarket. Although, if you are looking for an even cheaper replacement, remember: Gruyere cheese is an analogue of, in fact, any hard cheese with a pronounced taste. That is, instead of it, you can put a product called "Russian" in the dish, although this will already be a little different. Still, nothing can replace the special, pronounced aroma of dried fruits.

Price of Gruyere cheese

It was mentioned that this product can be eaten after 4 months of special aging. However, there is a clear gradation of this cheese depending on its age. So, if it is 4-5 months old, it has the name “sweet”, but if the cheese is already 7-8 months old, then it is already “semi-salted”, and one-year-old Gruyere heads are labeled as “premium” or “reserve”. By the way, up to 12 liters of quality milk is used to make 1 kilogram of the product. And the heads themselves, which it would be better to call heads, have a weight of 25 to 40 kilograms and a diameter of 55-65 cm. Therefore, you will not see such a product on sale as a whole, as a rule, the heads are cut into large wedge-shaped pieces. Gruyere is a rather expensive cheese, especially outside its homeland. In Russian supermarkets, its price is about 300-400 rubles per package of 200 grams, that is, from 1,500 thousand rubles per 1 kilogram. Usually it is exported already in vacuum packaging with the appropriate inscription (Le Gruyere). Remember that the birthplace of real Gruyère cheese is Switzerland. The cheese, on the packaging of which any other country appears, is not original. Only a dairy product produced in the district of Gruyeres can bear this name.

What dishes are traditionally prepared using Gruyere

As we already mentioned, the most popular dish of this product is fondue. It is traditional for France and Switzerland. Perhaps, only there residents can afford to buy half a kilogram of this delicacy (and nothing less is spent on fondue) and dip slices of bread, ham and other products to taste in it. Due to the fact that cheese melts well, it is often used for making fillings and sauces, it does not clog the taste of other ingredients. By the way, it is Gruyere that is used in the classic recipe for the popular French dish - onion soup. It also goes well with meat dishes. This cheese is one of the most loved in Europe. We hope that after reading the article, you will be interested in trying this product, which is rightfully considered the pride of its region - the small canton of Friborg (Gruyeres district) in Switzerland.

Gruyere cheese represents the highest class of cheese makers in Switzerland. The name directly depends on the place where this cheese is made, which is combed into hard varieties. The distinctive features of this product include a very dense and homogeneous consistency. Cheese eyes are extremely rare in Gruyere cheese (see photo).

This product has a unique smell, as well as a piquant taste with characteristic nutty notes. Gruyere cheese belongs to the list of varieties, the origin of which is controlled by specialists. Depending on the exposure, several varieties of this product are distinguished:

• sweet - 5 months;
• semi salty - 8 months;
• salty - 9 months;
• top grade - 12 months;
• old - 15 months and more.

Gruyère cheese arrives on store shelves in heads that are approximately 50 cm in diameter and weigh from 25 to 40 kg. The top of the product is covered with a grainy crust, the color of which ranges from golden to brown. The fat content of such cheese is no more than 50%.

The production process for Gruyere cheese takes place in a specific sequence. To begin with, morning and evening milk are mixed in one large container. Then a special enzyme and an oxidizing agent are added to it. The folding process takes place within 40 minutes. It is very important to follow the process, because if you make a mistake even for a few minutes, the final product will be of low quality or even be considered a marriage. Then, using special knives for 7 minutes, the mass will be crushed into small granules. The next stage is heating the formed cheese grains for 40 minutes. to a temperature of no more than 56 degrees. Now the cheese maker must make sure with his own hands that the mass is elastic and ready for further processing. Then, with the help of a special pump, the mass is divided into forms and the whey is separated. Next, the cheese mass is sent under a press, the weight of which reaches up to 900 kg. This molding takes up to 20 hours, during which time the heads are turned over from time to time. After that, it is sent to a saline solution for a day. At the last stage, the Gruyere cheese ripens in special cellars, where the temperature is kept at 14 degrees.

Gruyere cheese has a salty sweet taste. To get 1 kg of the final product, you need to spend exactly 12 liters of milk.

How to choose and store Swiss Gruyere cheese?

When choosing Gruyere cheese, it is worth looking for heads that have the AOC or AOP mark, which indicates the authenticity of this product. It is worth storing cheese in the refrigerator after wrapping it with cling film.

Beneficial features

The benefits of Gruyere cheese are due to the presence of vitamins and minerals. It contains choline, which normalizes blood cholesterol levels and helps get rid of edema. Due to the presence of phosphorus and calcium, the process of regeneration and strengthening of bone tissue is activated. In addition, these minerals improve the condition of nails, hair and teeth. There is magnesium in Gruyere cheese, which is necessary for the normal functioning of the heart muscle. Given the potassium content, the activity of the cardiovascular system improves. Sodium is also part of this cheese, which is responsible for the water balance in the body. This is just a small list of useful substances that have a beneficial effect on the vital activity of the body as a whole.

Gruyere cheese contains natural substances that provide the body with the necessary energy for a long time. It also contains many proteins that have a beneficial effect on the condition of muscles, skin, blood and cartilage tissue.

Cooking use

Gruyere cheese is a great snack on its own and is often found on cheese platters. This cheese is used for the national dish of Switzerland - Fondue.. In addition, this product is used in baking recipes, especially in France. Gruyere cheese goes well with meat and vegetables, and is also used in first courses, pasta and salads. The taste and aroma of this product are revealed more widely when combined with white wine, apple cider and dark beer.

Harm of Gruyere cheese and contraindications

Gruyere cheese can harm people with an individual intolerance to the product. Given the high lipid content, it is necessary to abandon its use during the period of weight loss, as well as with obesity.