Gruyère is a Swiss cheese that matures very slowly and is therefore particularly spicy. He came from the area around the town of the same name Gruyères in the canton of Fribourg. or? Not necessarily: A court in the United States has decided that other producers can also call their cheese Gruyère.
The reason given by the court: US consumers will generally understand that Gruyère is a light, melt-in-the-mouth cheese—regardless of its origin. Gruyère is treated differently from champagne, for example: only sparkling wines from French champagne can be called. The same goes for cognac (this is also a region of France) or French Roquefort cheese.
Swiss cheese makers’ call
Swiss cheese producers want to appeal the court ruling from the US state of Virginia, said Philip Bardet (61), director of the Swiss Cheese Producers Association, when asked by Blake. “Gruyère stands for a centuries-old traditional recipe of a region of Switzerland,” he argues.
Gruyère is produced in this country in the cantons of Fribourg, Bern, Neuchâtel, Vaud and Jura. There are also Gruyère producers in France. This is because Swiss cheese makers migrated there centuries ago. The name is protected in Europe. However, this does not apply to the USA. For years, American producers have been selling the cheese there under the name Gruyère, which has nothing to do with the local recipe.
“When a consumer in the United States buys a Gruyere, he has no idea what to expect,” Bardet says angrily. ‘Does cheese have holes or not?’ What is the milk you made with? “Swiss Gruyère producers pride themselves on using only raw milk from cows that get only natural feed (pasture grass in summer and hay in winter). “In the United States they use cheap milk. This is deceiving the consumer! Bardet shouts.
The Budweiser beer row has been going on for 100 years
Gruyère producers have been taking action against US cheese producers for years. Some have voluntarily given up and now call their cheese “Alpine Style” instead. However, at the legal level, the fight to protect the Swiss cheese brand has not yet succeeded. “It’s an eternal discussion with America,” Bardet sighs.
It seems unlikely that a solution will be found any time soon. For example, the trademark dispute over the name Budweiser beer has been going on for over 100 years! An American and a Czech brewery claim the name for themselves. So far with no final result.
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