Why Gruyere Cheese is the Highest Quality Cheese
The process of making cheese is a scientific process that has never been easy to regulate. Usually, good quality cheese is a result of the dedication to make flavorful cheese by an experienced and perhaps a lucky cheese maker. Although good cheese can be produced by following analytical tests of cheese characteristics, traditional cheese is made with sheer luck alone.
Developing a certain set of standards for cheese can be difficult because every kind has its own distinct range of characteristics, and a cheese that fairs too far from this range will taste bad and be inferior. For example, good soft blue cheese has high moisture and pH content, but cheddar does not.
Certain rules are implemented in order to make sure that the consumer will buy only authentic cheeses. France, being a great contributor to the production of natural cheeses, has been granting certain regions monopolies on the production of certain types of cheeses. And because cheese is made to be eaten by humans, extreme care is taken to make sure that the materials used are of the highest quality possible, most especially if the cheese is intended for export a stricter set of standards are implemented and should be met.
The Appellation of Controlled Origin or appellation d’origine controlee is label which means that the product bearing that label is local to a particular region, keeping the characteristics and the standards of that region as well. Consequently, food from a certain region must also be produced in a particular way in order to qualify for an appellation of controlled origin there are national inspectors that visit and make sure that food producers comply with the given standards.
However, not all products in the market have the appellation of controlled origin label. Qualifying for such title implies that the government is confident that the product is made with the best raw materials and production standards possible. The appellation label has been established in order to assure the consumers that what they buy is authentic and is not cheap counterfeits or knockoff versions.
Cheeses and wines are most often labeled with an appellation of controlled origin, and one particular type of cheese that bears this distinct mark is the Gruyere Cheese. It is a creamy, pale cheese that has small holes and with a slight granular taste. Unlike other Swiss cheese, the holes of the Gruyere cheese rarely gets bigger than the size of a pea, with the holes widely dispersed within the cheese. Its flavor is very different from other Swiss cheeses, but is not too strong or overpowering. That means that the Gruyere cheese makes a very good ingredient for quiches, soups, salads, and pastas. You can have the Gruyere cheese sliced or great, depending on your mood.
Next time you feel like throwing a cheese and wine party, look for the kind of cheese that passes production and state standards. Next time you host a wine and cheese party, make sure the cheese you serve is not run of the mill. So check for the appellation of controlled origin seal. Order Gruyere cheese today!
Find other articles about Gruyere Cheese.