How Does Gruyere Cheese Taste? [A Complete Guide]

Do you like to know how does gruyere cheese taste? Then you are like many others because this cheese is particularly popular. It is also convincing with its great, hearty, and spicy taste. For those who do not yet know Gruyere or simply want to know more about cheese, we have summarized all the important information at a glance here.

Table of Contents

Origin and manufacture

Gruyère, Gruyere in German, is a hard cheese with a long tradition:

Cheese production in the area surrounding the town of Gruyères in the canton of Friborg (western Switzerland) can be traced back to the 12th century.

For the Gruyère Switzerland AOC, (Appellation d’Origine Contrôlée) only raw milk from cows that are fed according to strict regulations (no silage) is used.

The round loaves have an average weight of 35 kg. The cheese paste is tender but firm and light yellow in color. It also has occasional fine holes, the rind is brownish with a slightly moist surface.

At the beginning of the maturing period, the cheeses are turned daily and rubbed with salt water. Due to the moisture, the typical “smear” forms on the surface, which significantly influences the taste and aroma of the cheese. Gruyère cheese contains 49-53% fat i.p. Tr.

Purchasing and Variants

Gruyere is available at the cheese counter or in specialty cheese shops. There, cheese connoisseurs will also find specialties such as cave-matured Gruyère, which is stored in a damp stone cave for several months, and the aromatic “Gruyère d’Alpage”, which comes from alpine farms and is only produced during the summer months.

Storage

Store the Gruyères wrapped in cling film or cheese paper on the top shelf of the refrigerator.