France and its National Dairy Industry College (ENIL) will soon host three North Korean experts in the name of “cheese diplomacy.” North Korea’s leader Kim Jong-un reportedly can’t get enough Emmental, and is looking to successfully recreate the cheese in his own country. Trouble is, he’s having, well…trouble. That’s where the French come in. They’ll host the North Koreans for several months, training them to make Emmental-style cheese.
Their several months of training, however, will concentrate on the production of only one type of cheese – Emmental. The website says the “cheese diplomacy” project was prompted by the North Korean leader’s fondness for Emmental. This was apparently the favourite school snack of Kim Jong-un, who is reported to have studied in Switzerland. The main task of the North Korean experts is to implement their newly learnt skills at the Pyongyang cheese dairy, which has been unable to replicate the “requisite quality” of the cheese.
Photo by BBC
Rebecca Haley-Park
Rebecca Haley-Park is culture's former editor and resident stinky cheese cheerleader. A native New Englander, she holds a BFA in creative writing from University of Maine at Farmington.
