Cheese with Hints of Flowers at Gruyère

Gruyeres (pronounced gree-AIR) is a town about an hour northeast of Lausanne. It is famous for its cheese, made at La Maison Du Gruyeres. Every cheese starts with the cows that make the milk. The milk farmers of Gruyeres graze their cows in the meadows of Swiss Alps at high altitude. The cows feed not only on the green pastures, but also on the floral growth there, such as lavender. As such, their milk comes with its own special aroma. This source of milk guarantees the quality of the Gruyeres cheese. The economics of cheese-making at Gruyeres goes like this. A cow eats 100kg of fresh grass and drinks 85 litres of water to yield 25 litres of milk, which it produces morning and evening. The cows are milked by machine to ensure its purity. There are checks on acidity and germs. The hard cheese of Le Gruyeres is made from natural unpasteurized milk. Each 400 litres of milk will turn into 35 kg of cheese. Overall, 2,200 milk producers deliver 345 millions litres of milk to the cheese-makers. This would become 870,000 wheels of Gruyeres cheese. Cheese-making is a traditional industry in Switzerland. The region in which the cows are raised, the milk is sourced, the cheese is produced and matured is a seal of craftsmanship. The process of production is fiercely regimented. After all, it becomes a tradition only because it is tried-and-true. The milk is heated at 32 degrees Celsius. Then the cheese-maker adds a natural starter, which coagulates the milk. When the milk is coagulated, it is sliced up. Then it is kept at 57 degrees Celsius to firm up. The critical technique is for the cheese to retain its elasticity and consistency without breaking. The mixture is pressed for 16 hours. During this time, it is turned regularly. The juice (whey) comes out. The cheese is kept in a salt bath for 24 hours. Then it is placed in a cellar, with small amount of ammonia for it to age and ripen. Five months later, a crust will form. That would be the time that the cheese sells in the market. The cheese can continue to age beyond five months. #cheese #foodie #gruyere #switzerland #switzerlandtrip #cheeselover #cow #milk #familytravel#citydaytours