Portuguese cheese Queijo de Ovelha Amanteigado won the prize for best cheese in the world on Friday in the annual World Cheese Awards competition.
Are you tired of your usual cheese? So replace it with a piece of Queijo de Ovelha Amanteigado, a soft raw sheep's milk cheese which was named, Friday, November 15, the 2024 winner during the annual World Cheese Awards competition, reports CNN.
This year, 4,786 cheeses were presented from 47 different countries, gathered in the Portuguese city of Viseu to be subjected to the careful examination of 240 experts from all over the world.
Teams of two or three judges spread over each table evaluated the appearance, touch, smell, taste and texture in the mouth of each product. Each team selected four finalists in the bronze, silver, gold and super gold categories.
“He is very balanced, voluptuous”
The cheese, produced by the small company Quinta do Pomar in Soalheira, Portugal, which employs 10 people, received the highest score among the 14 finalists, including no less than five Swiss cheeses, as well as cheeses from Brazil, the United States United States, Norway, Italy, Germany and Spain.
Made with vegetarian rennet created from thistles, the lucky one is described as a gooey, glistening, buttery cheese with an herbal bitterness, typically served by slicing the top and scooping out the center to the spoon.
“It is very balanced, voluptuous,” said Portuguese cheese exporter Manuel Maia, one of the members of the international jury. “It’s a sublime combination of protein and fat. It’s truly a fantastic cheese.”
A Norwegian winner in 2023
Last year the competition was won by Nidelven Blå, an old, creamy, semi-solid cow's milk cheese, blue in color, made by the Gangstad Gårdsysteri cheese factory in Norway. In 2022, a Swiss Gruyere won first prize.
