Real Stories: Le Gruyère
Artisanal know-how handed down from generation to generation since the 12th Century.
The most famous of all Swiss cheeses, Swiss Gruyère's history can be traced back to 1115. The recipe and production methodology has remained fundamentally unchanged to the present day. The triad of Milk producers, Fromageries (Cheese dairies) and Affineurs (Maturers) work in unison to produce this cheese according to strict AOP standards, which ensure consistent quality before being enjoyed by billions around the world. Each wheel requires 400 litres of whole milk to produce a finished cheese with a weight between 25-35 kilograms.
The Origins
Gruyère owes its name to the region of Gruyère, in the Canton of Fribourg, in Switzerland where it has been produced since 1115. Around the 17th Century, the name 'Le Gruyère' was officially recognised with a boom in exports. Fribourg also experience rapid emigration during the 18th and 19th century, which saw the production of Gruyère expand to the nearby cantons of Vaud, Neuchâtel, and Jura and in a few municipalities of the canton of Bern. However, with no trade protection and with its quality as only means of defense, Gruyère was often imitated. As early as the mid-19th century, began a campaign towards structuring the trade as well as a fight for a recognised designation of origin.
Le Gruyere AOP Production Zone (Courtesy: Le Gruyere AOP)
The AOP
Discussions held in Madrid (1891), Paris (1926) and then Rome (1930) resulted in the signing of a first agreement to protect the denominations of goods and their origin. However, it was only in 2001 that Gruyère cheese was granted Controlled Designation of Origin (AOC - Appellation d’Origine Contrôlée) at the national level. In 2011, it received the Protected Designation of Origin (AOP - Appellation d’Origine Protégée) for all of Europe.
The Protected Designation of Origin (AOP) recognises a level of quality granted uniquely to certain products, deeply rooted in a region that gives it a specific character and an inimitable flavor. The AOP label guarantees the authenticity of products made according to traditional know-how.
The Triad
170 artisan dairies continue to produce Gruyère to AOP specifications sourcing raw milk from designated nearby farms. And only 11 affineurs currently operate in the Le Gruyère AOP Production Zone.
The Production
The triad of Milk producers, Fromageries and Affineurs follow strict production steps to ensure compliance with the AOP standards:
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The cows giving milk destined to the production of Le Gruyère AOP feed exclusively on natural silage-free fodder without any additives. They are fed fresh grass in the summer and hay in the winter.
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In copper vats, the milk from the morning’s milking is added to that from the previous evening’s milking. The cheese maker adds the lactic acid bacteria that matures and rennet that coagulates the milk. Since the milk isn’t heated before coagulating, it retains all its aromas – a unique characteristic of raw milk cheese.
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The curd is separated into grains, using large rakes called cheese harps. The vat content is slowly heated for 40 to 45 minutes to 57°C.
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The cheese grains are packed into moulds and marked with the designation Le Gruyère AOP. The cheese is identified with a casein identification mark, which contains the date of fabrication, the number of the wheel and the cheese dairy. Casein is a natural milk protein. This traceability is very important in the Gruyère AOP’s production. The cheese is then pressed for a period of 20 hours.
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The cheese-maker removes the wheel from the press and places it in a salt water bath for 24 hours. The wheels are stored for 3 months in the cheese-maker’s cellars. The wheels are turned and rubbed almost daily in order for a nice rind to develop, which protects the wheel.
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After three months of storage in the cheese maker’s cellar, the wheels are transported to a ripening cellar. There they complete their slow maturation for 5 to 18 months at a temperature of 15°C and humidity of 90%. During this phase, the cheese wheels are regularly turned and rubbed with a salt water solution.
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After 5 months, the cheese wheels are inspected by a neutral commission to decide if all the quality requirements are met. Only then may a cheese wheel be graced with the name Le Gruyère AOP.
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The Gruyère AOP is also a question of taste. Between 6 and 9 months, its soft and refined taste will delight palates in search of sweet pleasures. It is called “Classic”. Starting at 10 months, Gruyère AOP Réserve has a full-flavored and aromatic taste, which will please lovers of aromatic subtlety. Some wheels will be matured up to 18, or even 24 months for lovers of strongly flavoured cheese.
Milk production:
70% of the cattle's forage comes from the farm
No silage allowed
Milk is delivered twice a day
No additives
All milk is traceable
Milk is sourced close the cheese dairy (max 20km away)
Milk is used within 18 hours after milking
No pasteurisation, only raw milk
No preservatives
No growth hormones
Cheese production:
On any given day, Gruyère should be the first cheese to be made in the vat
An open copper vat with a maximum capacity of 6,600 litres should be used
Milk from both the evening and morning milk is used to make the cheese
Each wheel is given a casein mark detailing the manufacturing date and the cheese dairy's unique number
No additives
Affinage:
Matured for at least 5 months before consumption
Matured in the natural caves of cellars
Shelves made of spruce wood
Controlling the atmosphere in the cellar (temperature 12° to 18°C, humidity approx. 92%)
The Types
Le Gruyère AOP Classic - Matured for 6-9 months with a mild and sweet taste.
Le Gruyère AOP Reserve - Matured for more than 10 months with a full-bodied taste and a firm yet slightly crumbly texture.
Le Gruyère Bio - Made from organic milk and according to standards set by BIO-SUISSE. Matured for 6-9 months with a mild and sweet taste.
Le Gruyère d'Alpage AOP - Made between mid-May and mid-October up in the mountain pastures. Exclusively pressed in cloth, and a slightly smaller wheel weighing around 25kgs.
Our offerings
This Gruyère is sourced by Fromage Gruyère SA from a single dairy (Belfaux Dairy) situated at an altitude of 670m above sea level. The Dairy was constructed in 1909 in the traditional style made famous by the renowned Swiss architect Heimastil. The dairy has been continuously producing cheese for over one hundred and thirty years. Read more.
The first written historical document that refers to Gruyere is dated 1655; hence the brand of this distinguished cheese by Fromage Gruyère SA. The source their 1655 Gruyère from only one of these specifically sanctioned dairies - Aeschlenberg Dairy, which is situated at an altitude of 750m in the town of Fribourg, Switzerland. This one unique dairy was chosen for its proven ability to consistently produce cheese of exceptional quality and balance. Master cheese maker Alain Cardinaux of Aeschlenberg dairy sources the milk from 6 small local farms and produces only 6 wheels each day. Switzerland’s Bex Mountains are home to salt mines that have been in constant operation for over 500 years. This locally sourced salt is still used in the production of 1655 Gruyère ensuring the cheese is an authentic reflection of this unique mountain terroir. Read more.