The best cheese in the world is a controversial topic that can be debated for hours between friends. Thankfully, the World Cheese Awards, held in Oviedo, Spain, in November 2021, settled the matter with an official ranking. This year the competition had over 4,000 entrants representing 45 countries from six continents. The shortlist includes favourites from France, Italy and even Japan – and one very delicious winner. Read on as we reveal the top 16 cheeses from around the globe.
The only Japanese cheese to feature on the list, Hisui is a beautiful blue cheese from Nagano that's aged for 80 days, after which the flavours are the most enjoyable. The cheese has already won several awards in Japan and has now gained international recognition as well.
A returning favourite from the brothers at Trethowan’s Dairy in North Somerset, Pitchfork Vintage Cheddar is a classic cloth-bound Cheddar with a dense, creamy texture and acidic bite. And it isn't the only cheese from these exceptional cheesemakers to feature on the list...
This Gouda-type cheese is just one of many Dutch cheeses to gain recognition at this year's awards. Made by FrieslandCampina, the cheese is inspired by Italian cheese styles and has a different ripening process, fat content and flavour profile that sets it apart from traditional Gouda. The cheese is ripened for 38 weeks so has an intense and sweet taste, while the texture is pleasantly firm but creamy.
Matured in cellars equipped with a water retention tank that collects moisture from the hill where Jean-Jacques Rousseau lived, this goats' cheese is beautiful in its appearance. Due to the unique conditions in the cellars, three types of mould develop, creating a colourful rind of red, yellow and green. Contrasting with its old and rustic appearance, the flavour is fresh, fruity and almost sweet.
We couldn’t get through the world’s 16 best cheeses without Parmigiano Reggiano, loved globally. A hard, granular cheese, it's produced exclusively in certain parts of Italy. The winning variety is a Parmigiano Reggiano aged for at least 30 months from Rosola Di Zocca Societa' Agricola Cooperative with a delicate fragrance and fine, flaky texture.
The only Swedish cheese to make the list, Almnäs Tegel is made on the Almnäs Estate, on the shores of Lake Vattern in western Sweden. The form of this cheese was inspired by the handmade bricks that have been made locally since the 1750s and while it may look like a brick, it certainly tastes much more delicious. A smooth and dense cows' milk cheese, it has a distinct sweetness, almost reminiscent of caramel and butterscotch, while the texture offers a satisfying crunch thanks to the 16-month-long maturing process.
Produced exclusively in the Alpine Bregenz Forest in Austria's westernmost province and made from fresh hay milk, the cheese is matured in special air-conditioned rooms. With a unique hearty and spicy flavour, the cheese has been bagging awards since 2014 with its 10-month version now recognised once again.
Level pegging with the Austrian cheese is this Italian Gorgonzola. Made by Caseifico Brusati, this is a particularly creamy version that can be eaten with a spoon. It's the aging process that helps it develop its signature soft texture and slightly sweet flavour. Visually it's also beautiful to look at, with typical light blue and greenish veins that are irregular thanks to the handmaking process.
Dutch producer MAAZ Cheese and their Montana Intenso cheese sits in eighth place. Matured for 40 weeks on wooden shelves, its unique character appealed to the judges thanks to the slightly sweet, aged flavour of the cheese.
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Another winning British cheese from the makers of 14th-place Pitchfork Vintage Cheddar, Gorwydd Caerphilly is an artisan semi-soft cheese produced by Trethowan's Dairy in North Somerset, England. Made with unpasteurised cows' milk and traditional rennet, it has a natural rind and mushroomy cream layer around a springy, citrus core.
Made from the pasteurised milk of Malagueña goats, this Camembert-like cheese is matured for 60 days to ensure it has a wonderful depth of flavour. Made by Spanish producers Quesos & Besos, the rind of the cheese is also edible and adds a bit of texture to this semi-soft cheese. The flavour is light and buttery with floral and nutty notes.
Landing in fifth place is another Dutch producer, Zijerveld Food, and its Twentse Bunkerkaas Geit. Ripened in former ammunition bunkers for 25 weeks, the unusual goats' cheese is creamy and spicy with an intensely pure flavour. The unique character of the cheese is underlined by its striking appearance: instead of a label and band, the logo is pressed into the side and top of the cheese.
A semi-hard cheese made from the fatty milk of Hungarian cows grazing in the Váli Valley, this cheese captures the richness of the pastures with its full flavour. Produced by Csíz Sajtműhely, it's a flexible, elastic cheese that softly melts in the mouth with a sweet flavour, distantly reminiscent of caramel.
The third-best cheese in the world is the Dutch Eminence Grise. Aged in caves in France, this goats' cheese from Van der Heiden Kaas has delicate blue veins and is smothered in a natural crust, which allows the cheese to develop its soft, mild taste. The winner, Tomme Chèvre Grise au Bleu, is ripened for at least six months.
It would be a shock if an Epoisses wasn't a finalist, as the pungent yet popular cheese is much-loved around the world. It's on the official list of Protected Designation of Origin (PDO) products in Europe and only produced in central France. Made since the 16th century, it’s a cows' milk cheese with a washed rind, soft texture and creamy taste. The winning version is washed with Marc de Bourgogne and made by Fromagerie Berthaut in Burgundy.
Fending off competition from the best cheesemakers in the world, this extraordinary cheese, made by a husband and wife duo in the small Spanish town of Guarromán, claimed the top spot. Coming from a long line of shepherds, they decided to make a lactic cheese, which is one of the oldest forms of fermentation. The result is Olavidia – a soft and creamy goats' cheese with a buttery flavour and floral notes. The cheese is made entirely by hand and, when cut, shows a vein of ash, making it visually striking as well.