There are various gruyere cheese substitutes, but Fontina, Raclette, Jarlsberg, and Comte stand out as the finest owing to features like as flavor, aroma, and hardness.
But first, you must grasp what Gruyere cheese is, since this will allow you to choose the best equivalent.
Contents
- What Is Gruyere Cheese?
- 5 Recommended Gruyere Cheese Substitute
- Frequently Asked Questions
- FAQs
- What can I use if I don’t have Gruyere?
- What is a match to Gruyere cheese?
- Can you use cheddar instead of Gruyere?
- Is Swiss cheese a substitute for Gruyere?
- Is Swiss and Gruyere the same?
- Is provolone similar to Gruyere?
- How similar are gouda and Gruyere?
- Is Gruyere a type of cheddar?
- What flavors are in Gruyere cheese?
- What is the closest tasting cheese to Gruyere?
What Is Gruyere Cheese?
Gruyere cheese is a hard cows-milk cheese named after the town of Gruyeres in the Swiss French-speaking canton of Fribourg. It has a rich, salty, creamy, and nutty taste. The taste, however, alters with age. Over ten months, aged Gruyere acquires a hint of spice, earthiness, and depth in taste.
It has eclipsed mozzarella and Emmental as the most manufactured and eaten cheese in Switzerland. Its versatility and silky texture make it a common ingredient in many popular recipes, including Swiss fondue, croque monsieur, and quiche.
The cheese received AOP protection from the EU in 2001, therefore it is costly owing to the protected designation of origin, processing, and maturing regulations.
If it’s too pricey for you or unavailable in your area, these are the finest five Gruyere cheese substitutes.
5 Recommended Gruyere Cheese Substitute
Our 5 recommended cheese similar to gruyere:
- Fontina cheese
- Raclette
- Jarlsberg cheese
- Comte cheese
- Emmental
Fontina:
Fontina is a delicious Italian cheese with a velvety semi-soft to firm texture, making it the ideal creamy Gruyere cheese substitute. It is made from dairy milk and has a milk fat level of around 45%, giving it a creamy, nutty, and savory taste that is similar to Gruyere.
Fontina production originated in Italy but has now expanded around the globe. Denmark, France, Argentina, Sweden, and the United States are major producers, making the cheese widely accessible in most markets. These nations’ variations range significantly, but all have a similar semi-soft-to-hard feel that melts uniformly.
Instead of using Fontina alone, mix it with Parmesan cheese, particularly if you want a creamy flavor on your pasta or salads. Because Parmesan provides zip and consistency, you may melt the mixture over a variety of meals. Keep in mind to utilize them in equal parts.
Fontina and mozzarella are also good options for pizza cheese toppings since they melt well together.
Can’t seem to locate fontina cheese? See our post on fontina cheese alternatives.
Raclette:
Although Raclette cheese originated in the Swiss canton of Valais, the term is derived from the French word racler, which means scrape. This is because this is a Swiss meal that involves heating and scraping the melted portion of the cheese.
It matures in around 36 months after being made from raw cow milk, yielding a semi-hard cheese with an edible orange-brown rind.
The taste normally varies according to area, but age also plays a factor. It has a creamy, spicy, nutty, and fruity taste with a little flowery scent in most instances.
In terms of qualities, the cheese is ideal for melting over crunchy vegetables and fresh salads. It may also be used to make fondue or as a topping for pizza and lasagna.
Raclette, when served melted over fresh fruits and nuts, gives substantial warmth throughout the winter. It, like Gruyere, is a versatile cheese that may be served with almost any dish.
Looking for something similar to raclette? See raclette cheese alternative for further information.
Jarlsberg:
The original Jarlsberg is a mild cheese made from a secret Norwegian recipe dating back to 1956. Norway is the principal supplier for this Swiss-style cheese (alpine cheese), and it licenses additional dairies in Ireland and Ohio in the United States.
Most producers age it for at least three months, but some kinds need up to fifteen months. This cheese, regardless of age, has a pronounced sweet and nutty taste that may be overbearing when compared to Gruyere and Emmenthal. However, it is creamier than Gruyere, which has made it popular in the United States.
Jarlsberg is an all-purpose product that is ideal for cooking or eating as a snack and is one of the finest alternatives for Gruyere cheese. These characteristics make it ideal for sandwiches, nibbles, or melting over hot meals like as flan or baked potatoes.
It should be noted that the yellow wax rind of this cheese is not edible and must be removed. Its removal reveals a semi-firm golden inside of exquisite creaminess. You may also see holes in the inside caused by the activity of specific microorganisms introduced during manufacture.
Comte Cheese:
Comte is often regarded as Gruyere’s French counterpart because to its identical flavor and texture. It comes from the French province of Franche-Comt, which borders Switzerland, thus the manufacturing procedures are almost identical.
It is also a semi-hard cheese created from raw, unpasteurized milk, similar to Gruyere. It does, however, age for at least 424 months. Large 4070 cm diameter discs with a dusty brown rind and pale-yellow flesh are the outcome.
Comte melts fast, which makes it ideal for fondues and croque monsieur. It has a gentle and somewhat sweet nutty scent with a hint of sweetness towards the end.
Because of its ease of melting, the cheese is also perfect for baking, preparing French onion soup, and a variety of other classic French meals. After all, it is a French product.
Apart from being almost identical to Gruyere, Comte is commonly accessible in many grocery shops and supermarkets. A 2019 Mercosur-EU agreement provided legal safeguards for the product in South America, implying that original Comte cheese will be available in this area as well.
Emmental:
This yellow, semi-hard cheese, also known as Emmentaler or Emmenthal, originates in the Swiss canton of Bern, thus its name.
This product, like Jarlsberg, has the holes associated with Swiss cheese, which arise from air bubbles caused by the added bacteria during processing. Because the emergence of holes is an indication of quality and maturity, they can tell you how well the cheese has matured (which typically takes 218 months).
The taste changes with age, with young Emmentaler being light and buttery and older Emmentaler having nuanced flavors and a fruity scent.
However, since both melt fast, you may use the cheese alone or in combination with Gruyere to produce fondue. Because of its smoothness and consistency, some people prefer it over Gruyere.
This cheese is also a great substitute for gruyere in French onion soup, a cheese plate, bruschetta, sandwiches, and grilled cheese.
Because only a few countries recognize Emmentaler as a designated geographical indication of Switzerland, states such as France, Bavaria, the Netherlands, and Finland make it, making it widely accessible.
This cheese is the same as Swiss cheese in various locations, so you’ll have lots of selections at the grocery store.
Frequently Asked Questions
The tastes of Gruyere cheese alter with age. A rich, salty, creamy, and nutty taste characterizes young Gruyere aged 3 to 6 months. The older variety, on the other hand (aged ten months to a year), develops stronger earthy and nuanced tastes.
Gruyere cheese is valued owing to AOP protection from the EU, in addition to tariffs placed by the US on cheese imports. There are tight manufacturing and maturation guidelines, and the product can only originate from the Gruyeres area of Switzerland.
Despite the fact that it is not uncommon, these stringent criteria make it a valuable commodity, thus the high price.
Most non-AOP protected cheeses are less expensive than Gruyere. They consist of the five possibilities mentioned above.
It all depends. If you want a great melting cheese, substitute mozzarella for the Gruyere. However, if you’re seeking for a similar-flavored cheese, don’t substitute it. Mozzarella is a creamy soft white cheese, while Gruyere is a semi-firm yellow cheese with a nutty flavor.
Emmenthal cheese is named from the place in which it is produced, which is extremely near to the origins of Gruyere. As a consequence, the manufacturing circumstances are almost same, resulting in tastes and melting qualities that are comparable.
Jarlsberg is also a good choice if you’re searching for a low-cost option, since it’s made by several US dairy farms.
Because cheese is an essential component of French onion soup, Emmenthal is the perfect Gruyere alternative owing to its comparable taste and rapid melting capabilities.
It is determined by the quiche recipe. If you want a powerful taste, Jarlsberg will do the job since it has a heavier punch than Gruyere and Swiss cheese. If you want a milder taste, young Emmenthal would suffice.
Raclette may also be used, albeit the taste varies widely depending on where it is processed.
No, although they are almost identical in terms of taste and melting ease.