In the largest World Cheese Awards competition since the start of the contest in 1988, a Portuguese cheese has been chosen as the best in the world. The Queijo de Ovelha Amanteigado left 4,785 other cheeses from 47 countries behind.
Organised by British-based Guild of Fine Food, this year’s event took place in the Portuguese city of Viseu. 240 experts from all over the world gathered at the venue to taste, judge and hand out scores based on four criteria: visuals, body and texture, aroma, flavour and mouthfeel.
The Queijo de Ovelha Amanteigado, made by 10-employee Quinto do Pomar in the Serra da Gardunha in Portugal, came out as the winner of them all. The cheese is made with a vegetarian rennet created from thistles, resulting in a gooey, glossy, buttery product with a herby bitterness.
“It’s quite balanced… voluptuous. It is a really sublime match of protein and fat. It’s really a fantastic cheese”, said Portuguese cheese exporter Manuel Maia, one of the experts.
“It’s very punchy”, John Farrand, managing director of The Guild of Fine Food, added.
It may not seem like a coincidence that a Portuguese cheese has come out at the top of the ranking the year the contest was organised in Portugal. According to Farrand, it may indeed have played a role. “Maybe it’s because the cheese is in its zone and has that terroir that makes the wine you buy on holiday taste much nicer when you’re there. But I’d like to make it clear that there are many years when a cheese from elsewhere has won”, he told CNN.
Farrand also stressed the importance of the World Cheese Awards, which might seem trivial to some but which can change a lot for small cheesemongers. “It’s a celebration of the world cheese community. Any award is important, especially for small producers, as the world becomes an increasingly difficult place to move a cheese around”, he explained. From the simplest point of view, it’s a benchmark across the planet, across 47 countries. And if you’re a cheese maker, in a valley somewhere, with 12 goats, to get that seal of approval, that pat on the back, is great. And, of course, it will help them sell their cheese and stay in business.”
Even though the World Cheese Awards are being organised by a British-based company, there were no cheeses from the UK present at the contest this year. The 252 cheeses from 67 British makers weren’t able to pass customs.
2024’s top 14 best cheeses in the world
- Queijo de Ovelha Amanteigado, Quinta do Pomar, Portugal
- Tea Fondada, Chascharia Val Müstair, Switzerland
- Alpenhorn Mifroma, Elsa Group (Mifroma), Switzerland
- La Cava Barus García-Baquero, Lacteas Garcia Baquero, Spain
- Bayley Hazen Blue, Cellars at Jasper Hill, USA
- Pecorino Bislacco al Rum e Tabacco, Petrucci, Italy
- Blugins, La Casearia Carpenedo, Italy
- Creamy Lion Cheese, Walo von Mühlenen, Switzerland
- Passionata, Biopark, Brazil
- Godbiten, Snertingdal Ysteri, Norway
- Alte Hexe, Bodensee Käse, Switzerland
- Valleclaro, Quesos y Besos, Spain
- Baldauf 1862 Meisterstück Alpkäse, Baldauf Käse, Germany
- Tatie, Latteria Moro di Moro Sergio, Italy
