Goat cheese from southern Spain voted best in the world

By Alyssa McMurtry

OVIEDO, Spain (AA) – A tiny Spanish cheesery from Andalusia made the best cheese of 2021, according to judges at the World Cheese Awards.

The company Quesos&Besos (Cheeses and Kisses), which has just six employees and their goats, made a cheese that was described by judges as "pillowy, warm, and comforting".

“It winked at me, it seduced me,” said one judge, who marked its unique looks, with a line of ash going through its middle, as well as its startling taste.

The cheese was chosen from a selection of 4,079 cheeses that were all in the running to win the “Academy Award” of the cheese world.

Not even the most experienced cheese judge was able to taste every sample. Instead, the competition brought 250 judges from around the world to the competition in the northern Spanish city of Oviedo, where they tried and rated around 40 cheeses each on Wednesday morning.

In the afternoon, the 16 most esteemed judges from around the world chose their favorite cheese, debated their merits and rated them on a scale of one through seven.

One of the top cheeses was likened to “the taste of the fields on a spring day.” Another was praised for its old-school authenticity.

Some of the top cheeses had notes that were floral and herbaceous. Others were funkier. All were expertly crafted and stood out for their surprising flavors.

The World Cheese Awards has been running for more than three decades. After last year's event was canceled due to COVID-19, the cheese community celebrated their reunion.

This year's edition, which runs until Saturday, is also holding an online auction for one of the oldest edible cheeses on earth – a 21-year-old wheel of Parmigiano Reggiano.