What happens when a recipe more than 900 years old meets a cave that dates back 22 million years? You get Kaltbach Le Gruyère® AOP, a Swiss classic with a little extra time — and plenty of character.
At six months, select wheels of Le Gruyère AOP are handpicked by Swiss cheesemakers and affineurs to continue their refinement in the Kaltbach cave. Under the care of a Kaltbach Master Affineur, the mineral-rich cave air and extended aging help develop a more complex profile than traditional Le Gruyère AOP.
The result is rich and layered, with notes of stone fruit, spice, black tea and hazelnut, balanced by earthy depth. Its smooth, dense texture has a slight flake and signature crystal crunch, while each wheel develops an unmistakable rustic brown rind.
But this is a cheese that deserves to leave the cheeseboard once in a while. Here are three ways to put those deeper notes to work:
- Give French onion soup a little Swiss upgrade.
Grate Kaltbach Le Gruyère AOP over a bowl of caramelized-onion soup and let it melt into a bubbling, golden crust. Its nutty, savory character makes a natural match for the sweet onions.
- Build the ultimate ham-and-jam melt.
Layer thin slices of Kaltbach Le Gruyère AOP with good ham and a swipe of fig or apricot jam on sourdough. Toast until crisp and gooey for a sweet-savory sandwich with plenty of personality.
- Take fondue beyond the usual.
Use Kaltbach Le Gruyère AOP as the centerpiece of a fondue with crusty bread, roasted potatoes and crisp apples for dipping. The cheese’s rich flavor and natural crystal crunch bring extra depth to every bite.
For a simpler serve, slice it into wedges or cubes alongside rye, sourdough, figs, walnuts and dried stone fruit — a rustic board that lets all those earthy, spicy and hazelnut notes shine.