The process of making cheese is a scientific process that has never been easy to regulate. Quality cheese is often the sign of an experienced, and perhaps a very lucky cheese maker determined to make flavorful cheese. Following analytical tests of cheese characteristics may help produce good cheese, but if you are after the good ol’ traditional cheese, pure luck is what you need.

Developing a certain set of standards for cheese can be difficult because every kind has its own distinct range of characteristics, and a cheese that fairs too far from this range will taste bad and be inferior. For example, cheddar cheese is low in moisture and pH content, while a good soft blue cheese is the total opposite.

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 indicates that an agricultural product is from a specific region, maintaining a certain set of standards local to that region. 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.

However, not everything in the market bears the appellation label. Qualifying for such title implies that the government is confident that the product is made with the best raw materials and production standards possible. This label has been established so that consumers can be sure that the products that they buy are not cheap counterfeits or knockoff versions.

Wines and cheeses are usually the items labeled with an appellation of controlled origin, and one particular type of cheese that has this distinct mark is the Gruyere Cheese. It is a creamy, pale cheese that has small holes and with a slight granular taste. Unlike other Swiss cheese, the holes of the Gruyere cheese rarely gets bigger than the size of a pea, with the holes widely dispersed within the cheese. Its taste is also different from the regular Swiss, but neither too strong nor overpowering. That makes the Gruyere cheese a very great addition to 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. Of course, serving a run of the mill cheese is a bad idea. So check for the appellation of controlled origin seal. Order Gruyere cheese today!

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