Switzerland: Part 2 - Making Gruyère d'Alpage AOP

It is 7am and I’m on a mini-bus swerving through western Switzerland heading to a small farm in a remote area of the Alps. I should be exhausted but I could barely sleep the night before since I was too amped up for what today would bring. This was the day that I would get to learn how to make Gruyère in the place of its origin. I feel surreal as we drive through the mountains, sunlight streaming down on my face. The food bloggers and photographers with me are also excited, not really sure of what to expect but in awe just the same. I’ve spent the last few years making cheese but what was approaching was astonishing. I know I’m heading towards not just a highlight of my career, but of my entire life.

Ashley Morton The Cheese Maven Brieyonce Gruyere Switzerland — Andreas Flury & Brieyoncé talking Gruyère

I always bring my notebook everywhere!

Our destination is Les Grenerêts-La Carrat deep in the heart of Gruyères, Fribourg, Switzerland. We were warmly welcomed by Yvan & Pierre Brodard, a father-son duo whose family has been making Gruyère and Vacherin Fribourgeois for nearly 100 years in this area. The family has 45 Holstein cows which are roaming and grazing happily in the sun-kissed meadows behind the facility. The family makes 2-3 wheels of Gruyère per day. The Brodards have mastered the art of Gruyère so precisely that they can tell how much fat is in the milk based off of grass and rainfall alone. Pierre explains to me that his nose is finely tuned and he can smell if there is excess fat or not enough fat in the milk with a single whiff.

The Brodards start around 4 am daily, collecting the milk and preparing it for make. The facility is small, composed of the cheesemaking room, a small kitchen, a small washing pit, and stable. The cave where they age their cheeses is underneath main rooms. Upon entering, my eyes are drawn to the enormous circular copper vat hanging over a crackling fire which is nearly full and slowly heating up the milk. We will be able to make 3 wheels of Gruyère this morning (approx. 70 lbs/32 kgs each). In all my previous times making cheese, I’ve only worked with stainless steel vats. The use of copper is an old-world technique and absolutely critical to the making of this global classic. Copper is an excellent thermal conductor and allows for the milk to heat more evenly and thoroughly than stainless steel. Copper oxides also bind well to the cultures used in Gruyère which enhances bolder flavor compounds.

Ashley Morton The Cheese Maven Brieyonce Gruyere Swiss — Yvan & Pierre Brodard

Photo taken by Alexandre Vernier, ODW Paris

Ashley Morton Brieyonce — Brodards pressing Gruyère into molds

Will be flipped 5 times!!!

The room is now smoky, the slightly sweetened scent of caramelized milk wafting through the air. I’m beaming in the warm cozy atmosphere as cinders flutter about dancing as the fire blazes brighter. The milk starts to solidify so we test it to see if it is ready for the next phase. Yvan uses a large Tranche-Caillé (Cheese-Harp) in order to cut the curd after coagulation. Standing at 6ft tall and 18 inches wide (1.82m x 46 cm), this tool is necessary to get the curds to the correct size for drainage of whey so moisture levels are properly controlled during the process of aging. Once ready, the curd has to be lifted with a large hook and large cheesecloth net over to a table where molds were waiting to be filled. Throughout the course of the day, the wheels will be flipped 5 times. The very next day, the wheels will be submerged and brined in a saltwater solution for 24 hours. Afterwards, they will be placed in the family’s cave and washed daily for 2 weeks. As time goes on, washing occurs less frequently (alternating days). The Brodard family ages their Gruyère for up to 6 months before the Mifroma team selects wheels to age at their caves in Ursy. The entire artwork is a laborious process that is mentally and physically demanding. It is a true labor of devotion.

Brieyoncé & Pierre Brodard talking affinage in the family cave

As we finish with the make, I’m basking in the warm afterglow of this beautiful moment. Ashes continue to dance in the air settling into my hair and skin but I don’t care. I feel at ease and my mind is granted true peace as I’m unified with the land, the creators, and the art we just formed. We spend the rest of the time at the farm eating Swiss foods, playing with the cows, and exploring the land.

Brieyonce Ashley Morton The Cheese Maven

I didn’t speak French before I moved to France. It has been a challenging, hilarious, and fun journey learning this complicated and lovely language. One of the reasons I wanted to learn French was so that I could continue to deepen my cheese knowledge and be able to converse with affineurs and cheesemakers at the source of their roots. For me to be able to spend time with the Brodard family and ask them questions about the thing I love the most…to learn from them…to connect with them… really brought tears to my eyes. I remember people telling me before I came to France two years ago that the dreams I had were impossible and ridiculous. Yet here I was on a tiny farm as a Brand Ambassador speaking in French about making Gruyère like it was nothing. My heart was so full of pride, respect, and love. I am forever grateful to Mifroma for blessing me with this opportunity.