A Gruyère is the top Swiss cheese
A Gruyère cheese made high on an alp in the Vaud mountains has been named the best Swiss cheese of 2016.
Cheesemaker Jean-Claude Pittet from Cottens was given the Swiss Cheese Award External linkon Saturday evening, having beat off competition from around 800 other cheesemakers.
The jury at the ceremony in Les Charbonnières, also in canton Vaud, awarded prizes in 28 other categories, ranging from the best Emmental to the best Sbrinz, Raclette or Vacherin cheese. The 140 jurors include “key actors in the Swiss and international cheese sector”, according to the organisers.
It was the tenth time that the Swiss Cheese Awards had been held. The aim of the two-day event, which was expected to attract 15,000 visitors, is to promote the quality of Swiss cheese, as well as publicise lesser known Swiss cheeses.
Switzerland has around 450 varieties of cheese. The consumption per capita lies at 21.49 kilogrammes per year, according to 2015 figures.
Gruyère is among the best known of Swiss cheeses. This hard cheese has a characteristic taste, which is attributed to high quality raw milk. According to its marketing boardExternal link, the same recipe has been used for centuries.
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