For us Indians, a bit of cheese is a great way to make a dish rich and indulgent. We drizzle it atop sandwiches, add it to our favourite snacks or even make Indian street food richer by grating it on top. While Indians do love their cheese and would have it on a daily basis, there is another part of the world where cheese means serious business. The World Cheese Awards 2022 were held in Wales, United Kingdom where over 4,000 cheeses from 40 plus countries participated. The event saw attendees from the world of cheese, including cheesemakers, retailers, buyers and cheese experts.
After a gruelling contest of nearly 48 hours, over 250 judges evaluated cheeses from across the world. There were entries from Switzerland, Spain, Australia and Norway to name a few. They used multiple criteria such as colour, texture, consistency, and taste and gave the cheeses a super gold, gold, silver, or bronze tag. The number of cheeses was limited to a final 16, and then the ultimate winner was decided. In 2022, the award for the World's Best Cheese went to Le Gruyere AOP surchoix, entered by cheesemaker Vorderfultigen and affineur Gourmino hailing from Switzerland. Take a look:
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Interestingly, the World Cheese Awards 2022 also had an Indian connection. Two Indian companies participated in the contest and won good ratings from the judges at the awards. Kirke Cheese, from Chennai, won a bronze rating for their cheese called 'Lavender Fields'. Meanwhile, Mumbai-based Vivanda Gourmet sent two of their luxurious cheeses 'Eleftheria Brunost' and 'Eleftheria Moony' to the contest. The former was touted to be a silver-rated cheese, while the latter won a gold rating from the judges. Click here for the full list of winners at the World Cheese Awards 2022.
We hope to see more of Indian cheeses participating in the contest and winning accolades! What did you think of the World Cheese Awards 2022 and its Indian connection? Tell us in the comments.