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Home » Dairy » Cheese » Washed-Rind Cheeses » Gruyère Cheese

Gruyère Cheese

Wheel of Gruyere cheese

Wheel of Gruyere cheese. Gruyere alpage / wikimedia / 2014 / CC BY-SA 4.0

Named after a Swiss village, Gruyère is a hard, pale yellow or ivory-coloured cheese made in large wheels with small holes made from cow’s milk.

The actual colour of the cheese will vary depending on what season the cow’s milk was from. The cheese is semi-firm and pliable. The rind is hard and grainy, ranging in colour from dark golden to brown.

Compared to Emmenthal, the other really well-known Swiss cheese, Gruyère is higher in fat, has smaller holes and is aged longer.

Gruyère is not a protected name. North American manufacturers make versions, as do the French. The French version is often called Gruyère de Comté. The Swiss did begin sometime around 2003, however, to rename their cheese to “Le Gruyère.”

Contents hide
  • 1 Production
  • 2 Cooking Tips
  • 3 Substitutes
  • 4 Nutrition
  • 5 Equivalents
  • 6 History Notes
  • 7 Language Notes
  • 8 Sources

Production

On average, 400 litres (105 US gallons) of milk are used to make 1 wheel of Gruyère.

The raw milk is heated to 34 C (93 F), at which point rennet is added. When the milk has curdled, the curd is heated to release the whey from it. The curds are then pressed into moulds, soaked in brine for 8 days, ripened for two months, then aged for anywhere from 3 to 12 months (American-made Gruyère will be aged 3 months; Swiss-made Gruyère is aged a minimum of 5 months.)

A more mature variety is aged for at least a year. The cheeses that are aged longer are a bit more expensive, but will taste better.

Gruyere Cheese being sold in market of Charmey, Friboug, Switzerland

Gruyere Cheese being sold in market of Charmey, Friboug, Switzerland. Ventdusud / Getty Images via Canva Pro

Cooking Tips

Melts well.

Substitutes

Try Emmenthal (Emmentaler), Jarlsberg, American Swiss or Raclette cheese

Nutrition

49% to 53% butterfat; American Gruyère is about 45% butterfat

Equivalents

1 cup, grated ≈ 4 oz / 125 g

History Notes

Various tales date the cheese back to 1000 to 1200 AD.

Language Notes

The cheese is named for the Gruyère valley in Fribourg canton in western Switzerland. The main town in this area is also called Gruyères (with an “s”.)

Sources

Viggè, Cristina. Non chiamatelo Gruviera. Milanodabere. 10 September 2007.

Other names

Italian: Groviera, Gruviera
French: Gruyère
German: Greyerzer Käse
Spanish: Gruyere

This page first published: Sep 8, 2002 · Updated: Apr 11, 2022.

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Tagged With: Swiss Cheeses, Swiss Food

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