ON THE TRAIL
Gruyère
This silky cheese is the backbone of Switzerland’ s national dish: fondue. It originates in the medieval town of Gruyères, in the foothills of the Fribourg Pre-Alps, and is produced by around 50 mountain dairies between May and October— a custom safeguarded by AOP status. Wheels mature in humid caves d’ affinage( cheese-aging cellars) for six to 18 months, evolving from a sweet fruitiness to a deep, earthy umami. Visitors can follow the hiking trail from the town to the highland dairy at Moléson-sur- Gruyères, where Alpine herdsman craft Gruyère d’ Alpage by hand.
CHEESES OF SWITZERLAND
Every valley has its own cheese— each with its own distinct texture and flavor, says Emily Lush
Raised on a summer diet of wildflowers and herbs, Switzerland’ s pasture-grazing cows yield milk of exceptional quality. Eight centuries of tradition have given rise to over 700 varieties of Swiss cheese, each named for its place of origin, and many protected by strict AOP( Appellation d’ Origine Protégée) standards. Though distinct in character, the classics share the same foundation— raw cow’ s milk heated in a copper vat— with flavor and structure defined by ripening time, rind care and the seasonal qualities of the milk. The Swiss Cheese Awards, held every two years, recognizes the best cheeses in the country before crowning the ultimate cheese champion. From complex table types to unctuous melting varieties, Switzerland celebrates cheese like nowhere else. Here are five to entice any turophile. sbrinz
The doyen of Swiss cheeses, sbrinz may be the same‘ Caseus Helveticus’ described by Pliny the Elder in the 1st century CE. Once carried over Alpine trade routes to northern Italy— where merchants named it after the town of Brienz— this AOP-certified, crystalline cheese is produced in central Switzerland from the milk of Swiss Brown cows. It matures upright in vast cellars, including Lucerne’ s historic Sbrinz Warehouse, which can hold up to 60,000 wheels. Lactose-free, extra-hard( 45 % fat content) and redolent of toasted caramel, it’ s enjoyed three ways: grated, planed into ribbons or broken into bite-sized chunks. illustrations: emma kelly
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