Gruyère ( or ; , German:
Greyerzer) is a hard yellow
cheese, named after the town of
Gruyères in
Switzerland, and originated in the
cantons of
Fribourg,
Vaud,
Neuchâtel,
Jura, and
Berne. Before 2001, when Gruyère gained the
appellation d'origine contrôlée (AOC, now
AOP) status as a
Swiss cheese, some controversy existed whether
French cheeses of a similar nature could also be labelled
Gruyère (French Gruyère style cheeses include
Comté and
Beaufort).