Imagine landing yourself in an absolute world of cheese—where at every turn, your eyes and nose are met with an endless sighting of cheese laid on the tables, in scores of textures, shapes, colours and rind, each blooming with its characteristic scent, and of course the story of its making.
The World Cheese Awards that first ignited the battle amongst the best cheeses around the globe in 1988 signed off its 34th edition this early November and a sweeping 4,434 entries of the most diverse cheeses from countries far (and near) made it to the venue at Wales in Newport, United Kingdom to be tasted and judged by a special jury. The judging though is just a day’s affair—handing each cheese its bronze, silver, gold or super gold status, which then finally leads to the triumph of ‘the one!’
And the winner of World Cheese Awards is…
Le Gruyère AOP Surchoix crowned the title of the World Champion Cheese, as CNN outlined was described as a refined, handcrafted cheese that melts on the tongue and carries notes of herbs, fruits and leather. That is cheese with plenty of taste and bouquet.
Swiss in its origin, Le Gruyère AOP Surchoix was entered by Switzerland’s cheesemaker Vorderfutigen and affineur (refiner) Gourmino. This matured cheese is made from raw cow milk that finally sculpts into a creamy curd but slightly crumbly texture.
Gruyère’s history leaps all the way back to the 12th century, when the cheesemaking action began soaring up in the namesake medieval town of Gruyère in the canton of Fribourg, Western Switzerland. In fact, this isn’t the first win for the Swiss cheese. Le Gruyère AOP has held the top title thrice in past competitions, and this marks its fourth triumph at the World Cheese Awards.
Primarily, Gourmino’s Le Gruyère AOP cheeses are handcrafted by local, master cheese makers in their village and peripheral mountain dairies. As described by refiner Gourmino’s platform itself, the Surchoix variant of the Gruyère is aged for about 12 months. Its palate reveals tastes of stone fruits, boiled ham, chestnuts and vanilla that are observed to be distinct but not as overpowering. As the cheese ages beyond 10-12 months, the texture and flavour, both, begin to get richer and full-bodied.
Who took the second-winning trophy home?
A soft, buttery blue-veined cheese with its origins from Italy, Gorgonzola Dolce DOP entered by cheesemaker De’ Magi found victory as the second world cheese champion at the awards event.
De’ Magi’s official website states, “De Magi is for those who don’t limit their tastes.” Founder Andrea Magi’s cheese journey began when he was just a school-going 12 year old, washing cheeses skillfully for his family in his free time. What is actually a crucial step in establishing the cheese’s quality, his cheese brand De’ Magi’s cheeses are hand washed even today sans any industrial equipment to keep the intensity of the flavours intact. With its mild but milky aroma and a mouthful of sweet, creamy taste, Gorgonzola Dolce DOP is crafted with pasteurised cow milk. To develop its characteristic flavour profile, it demands over 45 days of ageing. The cheesemaker began operations in 2010 and has since been creating a flavour-rich trove of cheeses categorised as ‘refined’ and ‘selection’, dubbed as the alchemy of De’ Magi cheeses.
