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The World Cheese Awards, now in its 37th edition, kicked off in Switzerland on Thursday, immediately assaulting the senses with its distinctive aroma.
More than just a competition, the event is a grand celebration of all things cool, though some attendees may have wished for a few more hole-in-the-wall offerings to dilute the powerful atmosphere. With olfactory descriptions ranging from “smelly socks” to “sick dog”, it’s clear that the festival is as challenging to the nose as it is delightful to the palate, touch and sight.
The three-day extravaganza attracted a diverse crowd of connoisseurs, culinary experts and curious consumers to a country where cheese holds deep cultural significance. The competition began on opening day, with an impressive array of over 5,200 entries. Nearly a fifth of these entries were from Switzerland, while a record 46 countries participated around the world, from Australia to Austria and Bulgaria to Brazil.
All those offerings in one burn Exhibition hall designed for original mix of smells. But once there was that mix of smells, the sights, tastes and individual aromas of the things were mesmerizing. Switzerland Cheese
John Farrand, Managing Director of the Guild of Fine Food BritainThe event organizer says some people who tell him they “don’t like cheese, it’s a stinky thing” just need to take the time and consider the myriad options.
“I’ll grab them and sit with them and take them on that journey through cheese,” he said. “I get a lot of people who impulsively say to me ‘I don’t like blue cheese’ and that’s really impossible. There’s a huge range of blue cheeses from here to here,” – Farrand gestured around the hall – “there’s always blue cheese for someone.”
They rhapsodized around a 120-kilo (265-pound) wheel of cheese, which teams rotated and “broke” – or cut open – exposing a powerful cloud of smell.
“The aroma of this Emmentaler impressed me,” Farrand said. “It’s the first time that cheese has released its greatness and aroma…just makes you hungry.”
Some people may crinkle their noses at the sight of bacteria-laden “blue” cheeses or reject the strong odor of varieties such as Limburger, Taleggio, “Stinking Bishop” and Époisses de Bourgogne – an iconic characteristic of Burgundy. napoleonIt’s a favourite, and so stinky that urban legend claims it’s banned from public transport France,
Others may not be able to get over the hesitation of tasting camel (or buffalo or donkey) cheese or trying unpasteurized or squishy cheese. More adventurous tasters will try the most gummy or moldy cheeses, and seek out the richest, creamiest, or meatiest varieties they have on hand.
For judges, there is no such hassle: it is more about scrutiny, taste, criticism and curiosity.
Score Judges in yellow aprons circled rows of long, numbered rectangular tables before digging in. They cut wedges out of hard cheeses and pressed them to their nose, or used a spreader to scoop out soft cheeses, inspect the consistency, and lick or drop them on their tongue.
The judging area was cordoned off by waist-high fences and ropes, and security guards kept watch. Journalists were only allowed into the area under escort, and were only allowed to look at and smell things – they were not even allowed to taste or touch them.
This was a blind taste test for the 265 judges present: all identifying packaging or markings were removed from the cheese. Their job was to grope, read, smell, touch and taste the offerings before selecting them for gold, silver and bronze awards based on characteristics such as aroma, body, texture, flavor and “mouthfeel” – a tall order with a lot of people to choose from.
Only those awarded as “Super Gold” made it to the lucrative “Super Jury” selection of 14 finalist cheeses. The judges – and the public – only learned where the cheeses were from after voting on each was completed.
Paul Thomas, a cheesemaker at Urstrom Kasse south of Berlin, slices into the cherry-covered blue cheese and bills it as a hint of the Manhattan cocktail. After tasting it, he said he was “pleasantly surprised during that tasting tour.”
He added, “But in the end it leaves me with something… a bit of a foul taste on the back of the tongue.”
Experts agree that it is difficult to choose a winner. While the end products of “caseiculture” – the curd setting, coagulation, cheddaring and other processes involved in making cheese – can be judged on aspects such as craftsmanship and quality, taste is an individual thing.
This year’s winner was Swiss: a “Speziale” Gruyère from the Vorderfültigen mountain dairy, about 20 kilometers (12 mi) south. burnWhich got 85 marks from the jury. The raw cow’s milk cheese was aged overnight before being matured for over 18 months and dry salted.
A creamy, flower-sprinkled “Crèmeux des Aldudes aux Fleurs” from the village of Etxaldia in French Basque Country The 9-month-old Swiss Appenzeller finished runner-up behind Adel-Wurzig. Other finalists were from Britain, JapanThe Netherlands, slovakia And the United States.
Many cheeses came with other awards: more than 20 were selected as national or regional “best” – such as Best American, Basque-Country, Japani Or Ukrainian cheese. Other trophies were awarded based on category such as best cheddar, raw-milk, goat or sheep, or smoked cheese.
While American states wisconsin World Championship Cheese Contest and hosts a competition France Organizers of the World Cheese Awards, which select the world’s best cheese makers, say it is the biggest cheese-only event anywhere. The competition started in Britain, but Italy, spain And norway Has also hosted.
Cheese Academy director Charlie Turnbull turns up his nose at the round, soft brown-orange cheese with a pungent smell caused by Brevibacterium linens – “similar to the type of bacteria found in boys’ trainers when they’re about 15.”
“It’s challenging,” Turnbull said with slight trepidation. But he said that once one gets past the smell, the flavor of the cheese is wonderful, with “hints of fruit, lots of meaty notes, some ham stock.”
“At the end of the day, taste trumps everything else,” he said.