You are the friend everybody calls first. You fit in at fondue night and at a fancy dinner, and somehow you get better every year.
Cheese profile
- MildBold
- SoftFirm
- HomebodyExplorer
- SoloFondue crowd
- ClassicWild
The real cheese facts
- Origin
- Western Switzerland: Fribourg, Vaud, Neuchâtel, Jura and parts of Bern
- Milk
- Raw cow’s milk, about 400 litres per wheel
- Type
- Hard cheese, wheels of 25 to 45 kg
- Ripening
- At least 5 months, surchoix from 12 months
- Best for
- Fondue, cheese boards, warm dishes
Source: aop-igp.ch, cheesesfromswitzerland.com · Last checked 28.10.2026
Taste and texture
Young Gruyère is mild and a little nutty. Leave it in the cellar for a year and it turns spicier and much more intense, while the texture stays firm and smooth. While it ripens, the wheels are turned again and again and washed with brine. That builds the rind and a good part of the flavour.
How to eat it
Cut it into sticks for the apéro, put a wedge on the cheese board, or grate it over gratins and soups. It also belongs in a proper fondue. The classic moitié-moitié is half Gruyère, half Vacherin Fribourgeois. Take it out of the fridge about half an hour before you eat it, so the aroma has a chance.
Did you know?
Le Gruyère was registered as an AOP on 12 July 2001, but the cheese is far older than the paperwork. Switzerland Cheese Marketing sells it as the taste of Switzerland since 1115.
Gruyère or Emmentaler?
Both are hard cheeses made from raw milk, and people mix them up all the time. Emmentaler is the one with the holes, while Gruyère has few or none. An Emmentaler wheel weighs 75 to 120 kg, roughly three times as much as a Gruyère wheel at 25 to 45 kg. Gruyère comes from Western Switzerland and needs at least five months in the cellar. Emmentaler comes from the Emme valley in Bern, and the Classic is ready after four.
More about Emmentaler AOP →How to keep it
Wrap it in cheese paper or waxed paper rather than cling film, so it can breathe, and keep it in the vegetable drawer of the fridge. Take it out about half an hour before you eat it.
Questions about Le Gruyère AOP
Is Le Gruyère AOP made from raw milk?
Yes. The AOP rules require fresh raw cow’s milk, about 400 litres for one wheel, and no additives.
How long is Gruyère aged?
At least five months. Wheels aged twelve months or more are sold as surchoix and taste noticeably stronger.
Is Gruyère the cheese with the big holes?
No, that is Emmentaler. Gruyère has few or no holes.