Swiss Gruyère cheese, the real deal | Food Features
Credit: Ann Shaffer Glatz
Authentic Le Gruyère AOP.
Back in 1973, I was a student at the University of Illinois living seven miles off-campus in a trailer park in rural Champaign County. On my drive home from classes, I used to pass a little fromagerie appropriately named “The Cheese Store.” I was 20 at the time and was just beginning to learn about food and cooking. Money was tight and I didn’t yet have a credit card so I had to adhere to a strict budget. The Cheese Store was in the same strip mall as the Eisner grocery, and far too often I’d spend my weekly allocation on cheese and have little left for groceries. I remember having to scrounge through the pockets of my winter coats, looking for enough change to buy a half carton of eggs. Back then, a container of Taco Bell refried beans cost only 15 cents, and far too often this served as my dinner when funds were low.
The Cheese Store opened me up to an exciting new world. It became a culinary classroom and its proprietor became my teacher. At every visit, I would sample a new category of cheese, learn about its culture and terroir, and leave with a wedge of cheese and empty pockets.
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