This year’s World Cheese Awards wrapped up last week, when 230 judges (including culture editor Susan Sherrill Axelrod) tasted and judged over 4,000 cheeses from around the globe. And the winning cheese was crowned: Olavidia, a goat’s milk cheese from Quesos & Besos, a small cheesemaker in Spain. See the full list of 2021 winners here, and get a glance of behind-the-scenes footage from our editor’s perspective here.
In other cheese news:
- The Dairy Farmers of Wisconsin organization is launching its first Wisconsin Cheese Board Awards, a six-week competition where entrants will submit creative and festive spreads in hopes of being crowned the champion. Learn more & enter here.
- The cheese-focused Cutting the Curd podcast on Heritage Radio Network honored Anne Saxelby’s legacy in a tribute episode last week. Listen to it here.
- ‘Tis the season! Cowgirl Creamery’s most popular seasonal cheese, Devil’s Gulch, is back for the holidays. See where you can track it down via the creamery’s store locator here.
- Adam Moskowitz recently spoke with Deli Market News, where he looked back on this year’s Cheesemonger Invitational and hinted at what to look forward to on the West Coast in 2022.
- Washington-based Lake Wolf Creamery recalled Queso Oaxaca, Queso Fresco and Cheddar Curds due to improper pasteurization. See more details about the recall here.
- In eco-friendly dairy news: Straus Family Creamery founder Albert Straus conducted a preliminary trial to cut cows’ enteric methane emissions by supplementing their diets with a specific type of seaweed. Results were very promising, with emissions cut by as much as 90 percent.
- It’s time for man’s best friend to join the cheese plate party. Marcoot Jersey Creamery added cheesy dog treats to its lineup, made from 100-percent cheese that’s been hardened and shaped into crunchy circles.
- Caputo Brothers Creamery is introducing another collaboration with Tröegs Independent Brewing: Troegenator, a limited-edition gouda-style beer cheese washed in Troegenator beer.
- CNN did a deep dive into the healthiest cheese options, considering factors like protein, calcium, and sodium levels. The major takeaways? Fresh is always better, and everything is good in moderation.
- Artist Mike Geno’s iconic cheese-themed Christmas ornaments are back for the season! Browse your favorite wedges now—from Humboldt Fog to Parmigiano Reggiano—to amp up your cheesy decor this season.
Monica Petrucci
Monica is Culture's former Social Media Editor. Coming from a formaggio-obsessed Italian family, she was very excited to combine her passions for cheese and writing at Culture. She loves experimenting in the kitchen and pairing wine and cheese in her spare time.
