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Featured Cheese for December 2008: Wisconsin Gruyère

Wisconsin Gruyère is the December featured cheese of the month.

Since the 11th century, cheesemakers in the Alpine area between Switzerland and France have produced Gruyère. The pride and joy of the region, this cheese received its name from the town of Gruyères in the Swiss canton of Fribourg. Today, Wisconsin cheesemakers produce award-winning, hand-crafted Gruyère using classic production techniques and hand-crafted copper vats. The cheese is aged in specially-designed curing rooms to attain the peak of perfection.

Nutty and rich with a full bodied flavor, Gruyère has a firm texture with a few small eyes visible. Surface ripened, the cheese is pale and ivory-yellow in color with an inedible brown rind. As Gruyère ages, the flavor becomes more assertive, earthy and complex.

Gruyère has a distinctive but not overpowering taste, making it ideal for numerous applications:

Classically, shredded Gruyère tops onion soup or is incorporated in fondue.
Add it to au gratin dishes and soufflés.
Put a new twist on an old favorite, macaroni and cheese – make it with penne pasta and Gruyère.
In quiche, Gruyère adds savoriness without overshadowing the other ingredients.
It is a fine table cheese, and when grated, is delicious with salads and pastas.

Because of its versatility, Gruyère complements many pairing options such as veal, chicken, potatoes, apples, pears, grapes, pickles and mustards. It is also ideal when eaten with fruity white wines such as Gewurztraminer and Sauvignon Blanc and red wines such as Merlot and Cabernet Franc.

Wisconsin, known for its stunning variety of award-winning cheeses, is home to many cheesemakers crafting outstanding semi-hard cheeses. In addition to Gruyère, these types include Cheddar, Colby, Edam, Swiss, Gouda and Baby Swiss cheeses. For more Gruyère or semi-hard cheese pairing tips, suggestions and recipes, visit www.WisDairy.com.

Featured Supplier–Roth Käse USA Ltd.

Nestled in the rolling hills of Southern Wisconsin, Roth Käse’s chalet factory has become a leader in specialty cheese production. Family owned and operated, its line of award-winning cheeses continues to grow, as does its reputation for excellence.

The Roth family cheesemaking venture began in 1863 in Uster, Switzerland. At the end of the century, the family extended their knowledge and appreciation of European cheeses by moving to America. By the early 1900's, Otto Roth, son of the founder, had established a successful business that would soon become the largest importer of European specialty cheeses in North America.

In 1991, convinced there was a future making great cheeses in America, Fermo Jaeckle, a former executive with Otto Roth & Co., joined with his cousins Felix and Ulrich Roth to further extend their European/Swiss roots and cheesemaking expertise. It is here that Roth Käse USA was born for the primary purpose of crafting authentic Gruyère and other specialty cheeses of Alpine origin.

Built with the highest European standards and technology, the Swiss chalet-style factory is state-of-the-art, with authentic copper vats, special wood curing shelves and affinage and aging cellars.

Keeping true to their Swiss origins, Roth Käse has developed a unique apprenticeship program that assures European know-how continues in their cheesemaking methods. The program allows Wisconsin and Swiss cheesemakers the opportunity to cross-train in the other's country, learning the technology and traditional European methods of cheesemaking and affinage.

This never-ending pursuit of craftsmanship and persistent attention to cheese quality has resulted in Roth Käse's claim to more than 100 national, international, state and regional awards in the last decade.

For more information about Wisconsin Gruyère, Roth Käse USA or another Wisconsin cheesemaker, visit www.Foodservice.WisDairy.com.