What Greek cheese is often called the Greek version of Gruyère?

What Greek cheese is often called the Greek version of Gruyère? The answer is graviera.

Graviera is a hard Greek cheese whose name and style are associated with Gruyère, the Swiss Alpine cheese. It is produced in several Greek regions, including Crete, Naxos, Lesbos, and Amfilochia, so “graviera” refers to a family of regional cheeses rather than one completely uniform product.

The varieties differ in milk and flavor. Cretan graviera is traditionally made from sheep’s milk and is known for a slightly sweet taste that can develop a caramel-like character as it matures. Graviera Naxou is commonly made mainly from cow’s milk and tends to be milder and sweeter. Some versions use mixtures of sheep’s, goat’s, or cow’s milk.

Graviera can be eaten sliced, grated over pasta, baked, or fried as saganaki. It is not simply another name for Gruyère: Gruyère is Swiss, while graviera is Greek, and their production rules and regional identities differ. Kasseri, another well-known Greek cheese, is a stretched-curd cheese with a different texture and profile.