Portuguese Cheese Crowned Best in the World
At this year’s World Cheese Awards, Portugal took home the grand prize with Queijo de Ovelha Amanteigado, a soft and buttery sheep’s milk cheese. The prestigious event was held in the Portuguese city of Viseu, with a panel of 240 expert judges hailing from 40 countries.
World Cheese Awards: The Competition
The competition saw the participation of 47 countries, featuring 4,786 cheese varieties. Notably, the United Kingdom was excluded from the competition due to customs issues. Portugal’s win was particularly significant as it managed to outrank major cheese producers in Europe.
The Top Five Winners
Besides Portugal’s Queijo de Ovelha Amanteigado, which was produced by Quinta do Pomar in the Serra da Gardunha region, other top-ranking cheeses included two Swiss cheeses (Tea Fondada and Alpenhorn Mifroma), as well as cheeses from Spain (La Cava Barus García-Baquero) and the United States (Bayley Hazen Blue).
Judging Criteria
The cheeses were judged based on several criteria, ranging from appearance, consistency and texture, to aroma, taste, and mouthfeel. The awards aim to recognize and celebrate the best cheeses from around the globe.
UK’s Absence from the Competition
Despite the competition being organized by the Guild of Fine Food in the UK, British cheese producers were unable to participate. Their products failed to clear customs, a problem that the director of the guild, John Farrand, claimed would not have existed before Brexit.
The UK had planned to send up to 252 cheeses from 67 British producers for the competition. The absence of UK from this global event was seen as a significant loss, given the ongoing resurgence of artisan cheeses in the country.
The World Cheese Awards have set a new record this year in terms of participation, with nearly 5,000 entries from nearly 50 countries, reflecting the diversity and quality of cheeses produced worldwide.
