Gruyere - Ideal cheese for melting
The same as Parma ham can only be made in Parma, champagne only in the French region of Champagne and Camembert in Camembert in France, true Gruyère only comes from the Gruyère region, Switzerland.
Rachel Zammit Cutajar
Before Gruyère gained its AOC mark in 2001, there was some controversy over whether French cheeses of similar nature could also be labelled as Gruyère, with cheeses like Comte and Beaufort having similar styles.
Like many other origin-protected cheeses, the region gives it specific characteristics and a unique taste. It is often described as creamy and nutty when young, becoming with age more assertive, earthy, and complex. When fully aged (five months to a year) it tends to have small holes and cracks which impart a slightly grainy mouthfeel.
The cheese is made from cow's milk that have been fed on natural fodder without the use of preservatives, grass in the summer and hay in the winter. Any kind of additives during manufacturing and maturation is strictly prohibited.
The cellars to mature a Swiss Gruyère must have a climate close to that of a natural cave, meaning humidity must be kept between 94% and 98%. Lower humidity creates smeary and gluey cheese while higher humidity makes the cheese dry out. Temperature is also controlled, between 13°C and 14°C.
The cheese is smooth to the touch with a slightly damp feel. It is soft, reasonably firm and not very crumbly. Its even ivory colouring varies according to the season. The dominant fruity flavours can vary in taste according to the region of origin.
The slow maturation process in the cellars breaks down the casein lipides into easily digestable amino-acids, where the cheese becomes smooth and creamy. Once mature, the cheese is core tested to ensure quality and flavour and the rind for form and conservation.
Maturation varies between five and 10 months for mild Gruyère, semi-salty, salty and prime-quality Gruyere, where different varieties are equal in quality though depend on the consumer's taste.
Le Gruyère Premier Cru is a special variety, produced and matured exclusively in the canton of Fribourg and matured for 14 months in humid caves with a humidity of 95% and a temperature of 13.5 °C. It is the only cheese that has won the title of best cheese of the world at the World Cheese Awards in London four times.
Gruyère is particularly good for baking as it has a distinctive though not overpowering taste. In quiche, Gruyère adds savoriness without overshadowing the other ingredients.
Unsurprisingly it is one of the main cheeses used in Swiss fondue, along with Vacherin and Emmental, due to its great flavours and melting properties which do not allow the cheese to get stringy when it melts.
For the same reasons it is also a vital ingredient to the croque monsieur, though just a humble ham and cheese toasted sandwich, the original French recipe has been bastardised with inferior cheeses, some which contain dubious ingredients that are far from natural.
It is also traditionally used in French onion soup, 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 type of garlic soup from France which is served on dried bread. White wines, such as Reisling, pair well with Gruyère as do sparkling apple ciders and Bock beer.
