Switzerland's big cheese

Ah, the power of Gruyère.

The firm cheese keeps Jacques Murith and his family — sons Pierre and Alexandre, along with wife Elian — busy from beginning of the day to end. Nestled high in the mountains of western Switzerland sits the town of Gruyères, and it is there that the family's cheese-making operation churns out around 200 wheels — weighing as much as 90 pounds each — of Gruyère each year.

While the Muriths' cheese is not exported, you can buy it directly from the cheese makers if you happen upon their home in the northern mountains of Switzerland. Below, images of the fifth and sixth generations of a family in the cheese business, hard at work.

The Week

Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

SUBSCRIBE & SAVE

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters

Join more than 350,000 subscribers and keep yourself informed with a selection of The Week’s most interesting, enlightening and entertaining stories - plus daily puzzles.

Join more than 350,000 subscribers and keep yourself informed with a selection of The Week’s most interesting, enlightening and entertaining stories - plus daily puzzles.

Sign up