Gruyere - cheese, which is the pride of Switzerland

Gruyere - cheese, which is the birthplace of Switzerland. It is considered a real attraction of this European country. In a year it is produced almost 30 thousand tons. The features of this product, as well as what can be replaced, will be discussed in our article.

The real Swiss cheese

Perhaps the phrase Swiss cheese is a household name. It means a product, of course, cheese, of exceptional quality. And although two countries - France and Switzerland - have argued recently, where exactly for the first time began to produce gruyere, since 2001, cheese can officially consider Switzerland as its legitimate document, confirmed by documents. Moreover, the special commission fixed its status "Name controlled by place of origin". That is, only in this country (Switzerland) have the right to produce cheese under this brand and call it "Gruyer". There are opinions that this product began to be manufactured over a thousand years ago. Just imagine how during this time it was honed skill and took into account all the nuances of its cooking. Maybe that's why Gruyere cheese is so popular in Europe and beyond.

Details about the taste and appearance of the product

This gruyere - cheese, made necessarily from unpasteurized cow's milk. It is best if the raw material was received in the summer, when the cows graze on the famous alpine meadows and eat fresh, delicious grass. The consistency of the cheese is rather dense, there are no characteristic holes in it, and its maturation period averages a year. But, in spite of this, cheese can be eaten in four months after manufacturing. Experts say that it tastes like dry fruit, but as it ripens it becomes more and more tart, pronounced, acquiring a "earthy" taste. Of course, professional tasters know more precisely which shades of flavor and aroma a given cheese should have. In the rest, the gruyer is recommended for use as a fondue (a traditional dish of Switzerland, very simple and tasty - pieces of bread, meat, etc. are dipped in a melted dairy product). In addition, it is an excellent addition to wine, as well as an addition to spaghetti, salads and other dishes, where traditionally put the cheese.

What can replace the cheese "Gruyer"?

Of course, not everyone can find Gruyere cheese in stores. How to replace it, if, for example, the recipe says that you need to use this variety to prepare the dish? Here's what the experts advise: firstly, it should be taken into account that the gruyere is a very hard cheese, so you need to search for an analog with the same characteristic. Most of all for the replacement of Swiss delicacy, the cheeses "Emmental" or "Yarlsberg" are suitable. The first name is more known to Russian housewives - Emmental cheese can be found and bought in any large supermarket. Although, if you are looking for an even cheaper substitute, remember: Gruyere cheese is an analogue, in fact, of any hard cheese with a pronounced taste. That is, instead of him in the dish, you can put a product called "Russian", although this will be a little different. Still, a special, pronounced aroma of dried fruits can not be replaced by anything.

Price of cheese "Gruyer"

It was mentioned that this product can be eaten after 4 months of special aging. However, there is a clear gradation of this cheese, depending on its age. So, if it "turned" 4-5 months, it has the name "sweet", if the cheese is already 7-8 months, then it is already "half-salted", and one-year-old gruyere heads are labeled as "top grade" or "reserve". By the way, for the production of 1 kilogram of product goes up to 12 liters of quality milk. And the heads themselves, which are better to be called heads, have a weight of 25 to 40 kilograms and a diameter of 55-65 cm. Therefore, you will not see such a product on sale in its entirety, as a rule, heads are cut into large pieces of wedge shape. Gruyere - cheese is quite expensive, especially outside of its homeland. In Russian supermarkets, its price is about 300-400 rubles per package of 200 grams, that is, from 1500 thousand rubles per 1 kilogram. Usually it is exported already in vacuum packages with the corresponding inscription (Le Gruyere). Remember that the birthplace of this Gruyère cheese is Switzerland. Cheese, on the packaging of which any other country is listed, is not original. A dairy product produced in the district of Gruyère can bear this name.

What dishes are traditionally prepared with the use of gruyere?

As we have already mentioned, the most popular dish from this product is fondue. It is traditional for France and Switzerland. Perhaps, only there residents can afford to buy from a half kilo of this delicacy (and the fondue goes no less) and dipped in it slices of bread, ham and other products to taste. Due to the fact that the cheese is perfectly melted, it is often used for making fillings and sauces, it does not clog the taste of other ingredients. By the way, it is the gruyere used in the classic recipe of the popular French dish - onion soup. It also fits well with meat dishes. This cheese is one of the most loved in Europe. We hope that after reading the article you will be interested in trying this product, which is rightly considered the pride of your region - the small canton Friborg (Gruyère district) in Switzerland.