An Ossau Iraty raw sheep’s milk cheese from the Basque Country has been named France’s best cheese in the World Cheese Awards.
Organised by the Guild of Fine Food, the competition is the world’s largest cheese-only event of its kind and this year 4,786 cheeses from 47 countries were entered into the 36th edition of the competition, which took place in Viseu, Portugal. In total, France won 8 Super Gold medals, 18 gold, 30 silver and 40 bronze.
The winning PDO Ossau Iraty is made from animal rennet and matured for three to six months by a family-owned company called Agour, which has been making cheese in the Pyrenees since 1981. Agour believes in preserving the traditional culture of cheesemaking for future generations, and its AOP cheeses follow age-old recipes while also allowing room for innovation to keep up with modern tastes.
However, the land of fromage lost out on the top prize to Portugal, for it was Queijo de Ovelha Amanteigado, from Queijo Soalheira Quinta do Pomar, which was voted World Champion Cheese. The washed rind sheep’s milk cheese from the mountainous Serra da Gardunha is a soft, buttery ivory-coloured cheese with a mild flavour, made with vegetarian rennet that comes from a thistle flower called cardoon. It stood out amongst the competition because of its gooey butteriness and lovely herbal bitterness.
The judges said: “This cheese really stood out amongst the many fabulous cheeses here, it is very well balanced and voluptuous. The combination of fat and protein is sublime, perfectly balanced. It’s a fantastic cheese.”
The 240 judges, from 39 different countries, included food engineers, graders, buyers, chefs, producers, retailers, industry professionals, journalists and influencers. All cheeses were carefully evaluated based on factors such as the outward appearance of the rind and paste as well as the aroma, body and texture of the cheese and, in particular, the flavour and mouthfeel. To ensure complete impartiality, the products were blind tasted, and the judges received only a brief description of the product, which does not mention its origin or manufacturer.
John Farrand, executive director of the Guild of Fine Food, said: “Over time, the Guild of Fine Food has become an event like no other, not only bringing together leading experts to carefully evaluate and reward each cheese on its merits, but also allowing the host city and region to bring the local culture to the general public. We were very happy to give our judges and hundreds of professionals an opportunity to meet in Viseu, in the very heart of Portugal’s leading cheese-producing region, where they were able to soak up the culture and terroir and enjoy a special welcome.”
Other titles included Best US Cheese, which went to Cellars at Jasper Hill’s Bayley Hazen Blue, a raw cow’s milk blue cheese with a natural rind, made from animal rennet and matured for three to six months, and Best New Cheese, which went to Leirgrøv Naturell Vellagra from Norwegian producer Hol Ysteri.
Latest Posts:
- Foie-gras festival sells out in minutes
- Henri Androuët – the man who brought French cheese to the world
- Why Paris’s Maison Dorée became a legendary restaurant
- Chase away the January blues with a Galette des Rois
- G is for Gougères
