Utilitarian Kitchen Cheese: Le Gruyere AOP

As early as 1115, Gruyere has been made in certain sections of Switzerland. The inhabitants of the Canton Gruyere were making a full fat cheese and selling it in Switzerland, France and Italy. In the 17th Century, the name of Gruyere was recorded and the process to protect its name and production began. However, it was during the early 19th Century that official steps were taken to protect the production and the areas where this iconic cheese could be made.

In 1891, countries began discussions in Madrid (1891), Paris (1926) and then Rome (1930) which resulted in the signing of a first agreement to protect the denominations of goods and their origin. However, it was not until 2001 that Le Gruyere was granted the AOC protection at the national level and 2011, Le Gruyere received the AOP protection for all of Europe.*

In 1914, the Swiss Cheese Union was formed to protect certain cheeses produced in Switzerland; specifically Le Gruyere, Emmenthaler and Sbrinz. The reasoning behind the formation of the Union was to protect the cheesemakers and give them a guaranteed income. Sadly, it stifled competition. Later, the Union allowed a few more cheeses to be made and protected under their over-sight: Raclette, Appenzeller, Tete de Moine and a handful of others. The Union was dissolved in 1991 and since then creativity among Swiss cheesemakers has flourished.**

Le Gruyere AOP is an Alpine-Style cheese. In the cheesemaking process, after the curd and whey are separated, the cheesemaker gently heats the curds to approximately 112 degree F. By heating the curd, in layman’s terms, the melting process begins here making this cheese perfect for cooking and baking. “Meltable” equals “put me in a recipe”.

Recently at Costco, I found Emmi Le Gruyere in 16 ounce packages; perfect for keeping on hand for baking and cooking… and that’s just what I did. (This was one of the cheeses we used to make our fondue on March 20th at Sweet Combs of Honey.) It is also available in my cheese shop at Sweet Combs of Honey.

However, with Emmenthaler, Le Gruyere has maintained its place as best-known of Swiss-produced cheeses.

Along with Comte AOP, I always have Le Gruyere AOP in my cheese fridge; both are the best cheeses, in my opinion, for cooking and making cheese sauces. I like to mix one of these with Cheddar to make mac n cheese; these cheeses make perfect potato dishes. The possibilities are limitless.

* https://www.gruyere.com/en/le-gruyere-aop/the-history

**https://www.janetfletcher.com/blog/2016/3/7/swissbliss

In addition to being a member of the Internationale Guilde des Fromagers (Jura and Garde) and an American Cheese Society Certified Cheese Professional, I am a Certified ServSafe Food Production Manager with certifications that also include ServSafe Certified Instructor and Proctor. I am available for cheese events, cheese program development, cheese training, food safety training and 3rd party food safety auditing. See my About Me and Resume pages for more details or call me at 360 921 9908 to discuss availability.

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