Why the world's most awarded cheese is defined by its lack of holes

Food & Drink · Published 3 October 2026 Swipe more like this →

In short: Gruyère is the most popular Swiss cheese, celebrated for its complex, nutty profile and unmatched melting ability. Yet, while many associate Swiss cheese with large holes, authentic Gruyère is defined by its relative lack of them. This distinction has sparked international legal battles, trade disputes, and even debates over microscopic hay.

Originating in the Swiss cantons of Fribourg, Vaud, Neuchâtel, Jura, and Bern, Gruyère is a hard, raw cow's milk cheese protected by strict AOP status since 2013. Its production is a precise science: milk is heated in copper vats, curdled with rennet, and then aged in cellars that mimic natural caves. These cellars must maintain 94 to 98% humidity and temperatures between 13 and 14 °C to ensure the cheese develops its characteristic texture rather than becoming smeary or overly crumbly.

The iconic 'eyes' found in many Swiss-style cheeses were long thought to be purely bacterial. However, 21st-century research revealed that microscopic hay dust particles in the milk act as nucleation points for gas-producing bacteria. Because modern milking machines are cleaner, contemporary Swiss Gruyère has fewer and smaller holes than its 19th-century counterparts. This has created a global identity crisis: while the FDA's standards for Gruyère require holes, the Swiss AOP standards emphasize a dense, hole-free paste.

This tension extends to the global market. In 2021, a U.S. District Court ruled that 'gruyere' had become a generic term, denying Swiss and French associations a trademark. This is a far cry from the prestige held by Le Gruyère Premier Cru, which has won the title of world's best cheese at the World Cheese Awards five times. Meanwhile, regional variations like the French PGI Gruyère or the Greek Graviera demonstrate how the name has evolved into a global category, even as the Swiss fight to protect the specific heritage of their original, cave-aged product.

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