Le Gruyère AOP

This mighty mountain cheese, which can trace its history back to 1115, takes its name from the Swiss market town of Gruyères, where it has long been traded. The cheese is made in around 165 village dairies using milk from farms within 20km and is matured by specialist affineurs for at least five months. Tiny amounts of Gruyère d’Alpage are made during the summer, when the cows are taken high up to graze on mountain pastures and the cheese is often made in small huts using copper cauldrons over open fires.

The starter cultures for Gruyère typically come in the form of whey from the previous day’s production. The curd is cut into small grains, stirred and heated to 54-59°C, before being moulded and pressed for a minimum of 16 hours after which the cheeses are either dry-salted or brined. The rind is washed in brine periodically during maturation.