Portuguese Ewe’s Milk Cheese Crowned World’s Best at Record-Breaking Cheese Awards
A soft, raw ewe’s milk cheese, Queijo de Ovelha Amanteigado, has been named the world’s best cheese at the 2024 World Cheese Awards, CNN reports.
The competition, held in Viseu, Portugal, saw a record-breaking 4,786 cheeses from 47 countries vying for the coveted title.
Produced by the small Portuguese company Quinta do Pomar, the winning cheese beat out 14 finalists, including five Swiss cheeses and entries from Brazil, the United States, Norway, Italy, Germany, and Spain. Made with vegetarian thistle rennet, it’s described as a gooey, glossy, buttery cheese with a distinctive herby bitterness, typically served by spooning out the creamy center.
The judging process itself was a spectacle. Following a performance by local drummers, 240 expert judges from around the globe were tasked with evaluating the cheeses. They were divided into teams, each assessing around 40 cheeses at a time across 104 tables, resulting in a potent aroma described by John Farrand, managing director of The Guild of Fine Food (the contest organizer), as “very punchy.”
The journey of the cheeses to the judging tables was a remarkable undertaking. To encourage participation from smaller producers, 20 collection points were established globally, including in India, Australia, Brazil, Colombia, and Ukraine. While some years see local cheeses take home the top prize – as happened in Spain in 2021 and Norway in 2023 – Farrand emphasized that judging is blind, and local wins are not the norm.
Judges assessed each cheese based on appearance, texture, smell, taste, and mouthfeel, selecting finalists in bronze, silver, gold, and super gold categories. These super gold winners then competed in a final taste-off to determine the overall winner. Awards were also given for best cheese by country and style.
The World Cheese Awards, described as the largest cheese competition globally, attracts entries from both large and small producers worldwide. While typically held in different European countries, the Guild of Fine Food expressed hope to expand the event to other regions in the future. Last year’s winner was Nidelven Blå, a Norwegian cheese, while a Swiss Gruyère took the top prize in 2022.
