Making cheese has never been an easily regulated, scientific process. Usually, good quality cheese is a result of the dedication to make flavorful cheese by an experienced and perhaps a lucky cheese maker. Following analytical tests of cheese characteristics may help produce good cheese, but if you are after the good ol’ traditional cheese, pure luck is what you need.

Creating a set of standards for cheese is not easy because every kind has its own unique characteristics, and the cheese that does not fit within that range will either taste bad or be inferior. For example, good soft blue cheese has high moisture and pH content, but cheddar does not.

Regulations exist in order to assure the consumer that the cheese he will purchase is authentic. France, one of the pioneers in making natural cheeses, started granting certain regions monopolies on the production of certain kinds 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 a label that indicates that an agricultural product is from a specific region, maintaining a certain set of standards local to that region. 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 everything in the market bears the appellation label. Qualifying for it indicates that the government is confident that the raw materials used to produce a certain product is of the best production quality possible. This label has been established so that consumers can be sure that the products that they buy are not cheap counterfeits or knockoff versions.

Wines and cheeses usually bear the appellation of controlled origin label, and one particular type of cheese that has this distinct mark is the Gruyere Cheese. Gruyere cheese is a creamy, pale cheese with small holes and a slightly granular texture. 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.

Always look for the cheese that exceeds 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. Check for the appellation of controlled origin seal. Order Gruyere cheese today!

Read more articles on Gruyere Cheese.

Comments are closed.