Held in Trondheim, Norway, the world’s largest cheese-only occasion featured record-breaking 4,502 entries from 43 international locations. A panel of 264 worldwide cheese specialists – together with critics, cooks, recipe creators, consumers, retailers, journalists, broadcasters, and others – got here collectively to style and assess every cheese to determine which of them had been worthy of a Bronze, Silver, Gold, or Tremendous Gold award.
By the judging course of, the cheeses had been whittled all the way down to 100 Tremendous Golds, from which 16 finalists had been put ahead to be re-judged by an Worldwide Tremendous Jury for the World Cheese Award to find out an general winner. The worldwide Tremendous Jury judging the ultimate stage of proceedings consisted of 16 cheese specialists from throughout the globe, together with Cathy Unusual from Entire Meals Market within the USA, Peter Mårtensson from Swedish retailer Möllans Ost, Mansi Jasani from The Cheese Collective in India, Jon Thrupp from Mons Cheesemongers within the UK, and Aki Sakagami from the Cheese Skilled Affiliation in Japan. The ultimate tasting was held earlier than a dwell viewers and in addition broadcast on-line.
Among the many 16 cheeses, there have been two from the UK, three from Italy, two from the Netherlands, two from Switzerland, two – by the way, by the identical maker – from Germany, and single cheeses from India, Austria, Belgium and host nation, Norway.
Nidelven Blå, entered by Norwegian cheesemaker Gangstad Gårdsysteri, is made simply two hours from the centre of the host metropolis and is known as after river Nidelva, which runs by means of it. The dairy was based by Astrid Aasen and Perry Frøysadal (pictured, proper) 25 years in the past, as the primary approved cow dairy farm in Norway. The cheese itself is a semisoft blue mould cheese made with pasteurised cows’ milk and aged for six to 9 months. It has been acknowledged at earlier World Cheese Awards, profitable Finest Norwegian cheese in 2019, and gaining a Tremendous Gold in 2020. That is solely the third time a Norwegian cheese has received the highest gong, following earlier wins in 2016 and 2018.
Maren Gangstadt, normal supervisor of Gangstadt Gårdsysteri, commented: “This implies a lot to us. We’re a small dairy farm based mostly simply two hours from right here, so this taking place on our house turf means lots, and having all the crew from the dairy right here provides an additional spark to it. This cheese was made in January so it’s about 11 months previous now and it’s our greatest vendor. It acquired a Tremendous Gold within the 2019 World Cheese Awards as finest Norwegian cheese, reflecting the work that’s gone into sustaining the standard and consistency.”
Tremendous Jury Choose Finbar Deery, head of retail at Sheridans, Eire, stated: “What I beloved most about this cheese was the interaction between the milk and the blue flavours, so it isn’t getting barrelled over by the penicillin. The feel was the very first thing that hit house, it has a creamy dense fudginess. It is a moderately bitter cheese as effectively, we do not recognize bitterness in cheese, when you’ve got such a wealthy texture, the bitterness comes by means of and it retains the entire present on the highway.”
The 16 finalists had been:
The highest 16 Tremendous Gold cheeses:
- Sinodun Hill from Norton and Yarrow Cheese, United Kingdom. Delicate, pasteurised goats’ milk cheese matured for 1 to three weeks. (Championed by Kelsie Parsons, Canada)
- Previous Amsterdam Goat from Westland Kaasexport, Netherlands. Semi-hard, pasteurised goats’ milk cheese matured for six to 9 months. (Championed by Peter Mårtensson, Sweden)
- Goustal La Bergere from Société des Caves, France. Delicate, pasteurised sheeps’ milk cheese matured for six weeks to three months. (Championed by Catherine Fogel, Denmark)
- Wigmore from Village Maid Cheese, United Kingdom. Delicate, thermised sheeps’ milk cheese matured for 5-9 weeks. (Championed by Svein Erik Backlund, Norway)
- Parmigiano Reggiano 30-39 Months from Nazionale Parmigiano Reggiano Rastelli Fratelli, ITALY. Unpasteurised cows’ milk cheese matured for 30 to 39 months. (Championed by Davide Fiori Guffanti, Italy)
- Holland Delta, 1 12 months Previous from Van der Heiden Kaas, Netherlands. Pasteurised cows’ milk cheese matured for 1 yr, with a candy flavour derived from a secret rennet. (Championed by Mansi Jasani, India)
- Eleftheria Brunost from Vivanda Gourmand, India. Pasteurised cows’ milk cheese matured for 0 to 2 weeks. Handmade by cooking indigenous pasteurised cows’ milk whey & cream in a conventional vessel resembling a wok. (Championed by Cathy Unusual, USA)
- Eberle Würzig Seit 5 Generationen from Dorfkäserei Muolen, Switzerland. Laborious, unpasteurised cows’ milk cheese matured for 8 months. (Championed by Débora Pereira, France)
- Deichkäse Gold from Rohmilchkäserei Backensholz, Germany. Laborious, unpasteurised natural cows’ milk cheese matured for 12 to 18 months. (Championed by Georgina Yescas, Mexico)
- Kärntnermilch Mölltaler Almkäse Selektion 50% FiT. from Kärntnermilch, Austria. Laborious, pasteurised cows’ milk cheese matured for 12 months. (Championed by Aki Sakagami, Japan)
- Lamucca Di Castagno from Romagna Terre, Italy. Pasteurised cows’ milk cheese aged with chestnut leaf powder for 3 to six months. (Championed by Patrick McGuigan, UK)
- Baliehof Houtlandse Asche Kaas from Baliehof Kaas En Zuivelboerderij Jabbeke, Belgium. Laborious, unpasteurised cows’ milk cheese matured for 3 months. (Championed by Suzy O’Regan, South Africa)
- Müller-Thurgau Rezent from Käserei Müller-Thurgau, Switzerland. Laborious, washed-rind, pasteurised cows’ milk cheese matured for 11 months. (Championed by Jon Thrupp)
- Nidelven Blå from Gangstad Gårdsysteri, Norway. Pasteurised cows’ milk blue cheese matured for 11 months. (Championed by Finbar Deery, Eire)
- Pirano from La Bufalara, Italy. Semi-hard, pasteurised buffalo milk cheese matured for 3 to six months. (Championed by Evert Schonhage, Netherlands)
- Michel from Rohmilchkäserei Backensholz, Germany. Unpasteurised cow’s and goats’ milk cheese matured for 14 to 16 months. (Championed by Ana Belén González Pinos, Spain)
Regional winners
At this time (October 30), the Guild of Nice Meals additionally introduced the most effective regional cheeses. Harbison from Cellars at Jasper Hill was named Finest American Cheese.
Finest American Cheese – Harbison from Cellars at Jasper Hill (USA). e. A comfortable, mould-ripened pasteurised cows’ milk cheese, wrapped with a hand-harvested spruce bark, the cheese is made with vegetarian rennet and matured for six weeks to three months.
Finest Australian Cheese – C2 from Bruny Island Cheese Co. (Australia). A tough, uncooked cows’ milk cheese. Made with vegetarian rennet and matured for six to 12 months. brunyislandcheese.com.au
Finest Austrian Cheese – Kärntnermilch Mölltaler Almkäse Selektion 50% F.i.T. from Kärntnermilch (Austria). A tough, pasteurised cows’ milk cheese. Made with vegetarian rennet and matured for 12 months.
Finest British Cheese – Sinodun Hill from Norton and Yarrow Cheese (United Kingdom). A comfortable, mould-ripened pasteurised goats’ milk cheese, with a Geotrichum rind. Made with vegetarian rennet and matured for 1 to three weeks.
Finest Canadian Cheese – Alexis de Portneuf La Sauvagine from Saputo Dairy Merchandise Canada (Canada). A comfortable, mould-ripened pasteurised cows’ milk cheese with a supple rind. Made with animal rennet and matured for two to six weeks.
Finest French Cheese – Le Goustal la Bergère from Société des Caves (France). A comfortable, pasteurised sheeps’ milk cheese. Made with animal rennet and matured for six weeks to three months.
Finest German Cheese – Michel from Rohmilchkäserei Backensholz (Germany). A tough, uncooked cows’ and goats’ milk cheese. Made with animal rennet and matured for 12 to 18 months.
Finest Greek Cheese – Truffeta from D. Kissas Bros & Co. (Greece). A feta-style, pasteurised sheeps’ and goats’ milk cheese with summer time truffle. made with animal rennet and matured for 3 to six months.
Finest Irish Cheese – Mount Leinster Clothbound from Coolattin Cheddar (Eire). A uncooked cows’ milk farmhouse cheddar. Made with animal rennet and matured for 14 months.
Finest Italian Cheese – Parmigiano Reggiano 30-39 Months from Nazionale Parmigiano Reggiano Rastelli Fratelli (Italy). A tough, uncooked cows’ milk PDO cheese. Made with animal rennet and matured for 30 to 39 months.
Finest Japanese Cheese – Tokyo Brown Cheese from Cheese Stand (Japan). A pasteurised brown cheese comprised of cows’ whey and milk and matured for 0 to 2 weeks.
Finest Latin American Cheese – Morro Azul from Pomerode Alimentos (Brazil). A comfortable, mould-ripened pasteurised cows’ milk cheese, wrapped with oak bark. Made with vegetarian rennet and matured for two to six weeks.
Finest Netherlands Cheese – Holland Delta – 1 12 months Previous from Van der Heiden Kaas (Netherlands). A tough, pasteurised cows’ milk Gouda. Made with a ‘secret’ animal rennet and matured for 9 to 12 months.
Finest Norwegian Cheese – Nidelven Blå from Gangstad Gårdsysteri (Norway). A blue pasteurised cow’s milk cheese. Made with animal rennet and matured for six to 9 months.
Finest Portuguese Cheese – São Jorge PDO 4 Months from LactAçores (Portugal). A semi-hard, uncooked cows’ milk PDO cheese. Made with animal rennet and matured for 3 to six months.
Finest South African Cheese – Simonsberg Gouda 6 Months from Lactalis South Africa (South Africa). A pasteurised cows’ milk cheese Gouda. Made with vegetarian rennet and matured for six months.
Finest Spanish Cheese – Delicate cheese Capricho Homenaje from Formatgeria Granja Rinya (Spain). A comfortable, mould-ripened pasteurised cows’ milk cheese. Made with vegetarian rennet and matured for 0 to 2 weeks.
Finest Swiss Cheese – Eberle würzig seit 5 Generationen from Dorfkäserei Muolen (Switzerland). A tough, uncooked cows’ milk cheese. Made with animal rennet and matured for six to 9 months.
Finest Ukrainian Cheese – Tverdyy vytrymanyy z pazhytnykom from Zinka (Ukraine). A tough, pasteurised goats’ milk cheese with dried fenugreek. Made with vegetarian rennet and matured for six months.
Finest Cheddar Cheese – Mount Leinster Clothbound from Coolattin Cheddar (Eire). A uncooked cows’ milk farmhouse cheddar. Made with animal rennet and matured for 14 months.
Finest Le Gruyère Cheese – Le Gruyère AOP Premier Cru – Châtonnaye from Cremo (Switzerland). A tough unpasteurised cows’ milk cheese made with animal rennet matured for greater than 10 months.
Finest New Cheese – Tokyo Brown Cheese from Cheese Stand (Japan).
A pasteurised brown cheese comprised of cows’ whey and milk and matured for 0 to 2 weeks.
Finest Smoked Cheese – Nero Fumè from Latteria Moro di Moro Sergio (Italy). A blue, pasteurised cows’ milk cheese, smoked and flavoured with black tea Lapsang Souchong. Made with animal rennet and matured for six weeks to three months.
Finest SCA Member Cheese – Sinodun Hill from Norton and Yarrow Cheese (United Kingdom). A comfortable, mould-ripened pasteurised goats’ milk cheese, with a Geotrichum rind. Made with vegetarian rennet and matured for 1 to three weeks.
The Ann-Marie Dyas Award for Finest Artisan Cheese – Offered by The Nice Cheese Co. – Lamucca di Castagno from Romagna Terre (Italy).
A tough, pasteurised cows’ milk cheese aged with chestnut leaf powder. Made with animal rennet and matured for 3 to six months.
Finest Feminine Cheesemakers – the cheesemakers of Gangstad Gårdsysteri (Norway) led by Maren Gangstad and Astrid Aasen for Nidelven Blå.
Distinctive Contribution to Cheese was awarded to Gunnar Waagen from Tingvollost for his contribution to elevating the profile of Norwegian artisan cheeses.
