Why Gruyere Cheese is High Quality Cheese
Cheese making is a scientific process that has never been easily regulated. Quality cheese is often the sign of an experienced, and perhaps a very lucky cheese maker determined to make flavourful cheese. Although following analytical tests of cheese characteristics may produce a good cheese, traditional cheese making has always been an endeavour of luck.
It can be difficult to create standards for cheese because each kind has a unique range of characteristics, and a cheese that does not meet the requirement will not taste good and will be inferior. For example, a good soft blue cheese is high in moisture and high in pH, but cheddar is not.
Regulations exist in order to assure the consumer that the cheese he will purchase is authentic. France, being one of the biggest natural cheese producers in history, started granting certain regions monopolies on certain types of cheeses. And because cheese is made for human consumption, extreme care is taken to make sure that the raw materials are of the highest quality, all the more if the cheese is intended for export it must meet particularly stringent quality control standards.
The Appellation of Controlled origin or appellation d’origine controlee is a label that means a product is not just made out of sheer luck, but bears high standards of a particular region that it was made from. Usually, food from a certain region is also produced in such a way that will make it qualify for the appellation label there are national inspectors who make user that the food producers comply with the standards provided.
Not all products bear the appellation of controlled origin label. Qualifying for such a label means that the government feels that the raw materials from which the food is made is of high production quality. 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 labelled with an appellation of controlled origin, and one particular type of cheese that bears this distinct mark is the Gruyere cheese. Gruyere cheese is a creamy, pale cheese with small holes and a slightly granular texture. Unlike most Swiss cheeses, the holes found on Gruyere cheese are about the size of a pea and are widely immersed within the cheese. Its taste is also different from other Swiss cheeses, but is not strong or overpowering. That means that the Gruyere cheese makes a very good ingredient for quiches, soups, salads, and pastas. Gruyere cheese can be served sliced or grated, depending on your preference.
Always look for the cheese that exceeds production and state standards. You would not want to serve your guests run of the mill cheese, right?. Check for the appellation of controlled origin seal. Order Gruyere cheese today!
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