At the 35th World Cheese Awards, an event promoted by Hanen (a Norwegian organisation promoting local foods) and organised by the British magazine Guild of Fine Food, the Northern Lights, fjords and mountains of Norway provided the backdrop for the competition to award the world's best cheeses.
The best cheeses in the world awarded at the World Cheese Awards
No fewer than 264 expert judges from 38 different countries gathered in Trondheim, Norway, and awarded the world's best cheeses with bronze, silver, gold and “super gold” medals. The event has an impressive following among turophiles from all over the world. Unfortunately, health regulations in the Norwegian region of Tondelag prevented the large audience present from tasting the competing samples, as is the tradition of the event. The competition has evolved considerably from its modest beginnings in 1988, when mainly UK products participated in the title. This year, the 4,502 competing cheeses (a world record) came from 43 different countries.
Super Gold medals at the World Cheese Awards
After a three-day series of preliminary rounds and taste tests, the overall winner was announced at midnight in the final leg of the competition, the artisan blue cheese Nidelven Blå produced by the host country's Gangstadt Gårdsysteri dairy. Belgium and Switzerland came in second and third, while fourth in the ranking, with 95 points, was a cheese produced in India: Brunost (a typical Norwegian style of cheese that looks and tastes like caramel), tied with the spicy Rezent from the Swiss company Käserei Müller-Thurgau. Among the Italians, Parmigiano Reggiano Oltre 30 Mesi from Caseificio Fratelli Rastelli in Solignano (PR) took 8th place in the ranking, while in 11th place, tied with France, was Pirano made by Barlotti in Paestum. In 12th place a cheese aged with chestnut leaves Lamucca di Castagno produced by Romagna Terre di Forlì.
The top 12 “Super Gold” winners at the World Cheese Awards
The list is sorted according to the score obtained. Where several cheeses have achieved the same score, they are listed alphabetically by cheese name.
1. Nidelven Blåscore 102 - Azienda Gangstad Gårdsysteri, Norway
2. Baliehof Houtlandse Asche kaas score 100 - Baliehof Kaas en Zuivelboerderij Jabbeke, Belgium
3. Eberle würzig seit 5 Generationen score 97 - Dorfkäserei Muolen, Switzerland
4. Eleftheria Brunost score 95 - Vivanda Gourmet, India tied with Müller-Thurgau Rezent - Käserei Müller-Thurgau, Switzerland
5. Kärntnermilch Mölltaler Almkäse Selektion 50% FiT score 94 - Kärntnermilch, Austria tied with Michel - Rohmilchkäserei Backensholz, Germany
6. Holland Delta, 1 Year Old score 93 - Van der Heiden Kaas, The Netherlands
7. Old Amsterdam Goat score 91 - Westland Kaasexport, The Netherlands
8. Parmigiano Reggiano Oltre 30 Mesi score 90 - Caseificio Fratelli Rastelli, Italy
9. Deichkäse Gold score 89 - Rohmilchkäserei Backensholz, Germany
10. Sinodun Hill score 88 - Norton and Yarrow Cheese, United Kingdom
11. Goustal La Bergere score 85 - Société des Caves, France tied with Pirano - Caseificio Barlotti, Italy
12. Lamucca di Castagno score 81 - Romagna Terre, Italy
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