Norway’s Nidelven Blå Is Crowned World Champion Cheese Winner
Nidelven Blå, a soft Blue farmhouse cheese made by third-generation Norwegian farmers Maren and Ole Gangstad at Gangstad Gårdsysteri, was named World Champion Cheese at the World Cheese Awards 2023, hosted by the Guild of Fine Food and held over the weekend in Trondheim, Norway. At previous World Cheese Awards, the handmade Blue cow’s milk cheese, which is aged six to nine months, won Best Norwegian cheese in 2019 and a Super Gold in 2020.
World Champion Cheese: A Symbol Of Pride And Excellence
“This happening on our home turf means a lot, and having all of the crew from the dairy here just adds an extra spark to it,” says Maren Gangstad, general manager of Gangstad Gårdsysteri.
Record-Breaking Entries And Judging Process At The World Cheese Awards
Organizers say this year saw a record number of cheese entries — 4,502 from 43 countries — which were judged by an international panel of 264 judges from 38 nations. During the first part of the judging process, the cheeses were given scores on the basis of taste, aroma, flavor and texture, and given a score out of 100, determining whether they received a bronze, silver or gold medal. Then a super jury of 16 experts tasted the 100 “Super Gold” cheeses, each selecting their favorite for a final round of judging.
Announcement Of The World Champion Cheese And Other Awards
The World Champion Cheese was announced Oct. 27, with the bronze, silver and gold awards revealed on Oct. 28, and the trophies — celebrating the best in region and style — announced on Monday, October 30th.
Celebrating American Excellence In Cheese Making
The Best American Cheese trophy, sponsored by the USA Cheese Guild, was awarded to Harbison, a soft mold-ripened cow’s milk cheese wrapped in spruce bark, made by Cellars at Jasper Hill.
U.S. cheesemakers who won medals at the World Cheese Awards include:
Arthur Schuman Inc./Schuman Cheese: Silver for Cello Mascarpone; Bronze for Cello Extra Aged Copper Kettle Cheese and Lake Country Dairy Cheese
Beecher’s Handmade Cheese: Gold for SheepSheep; Bronze for Flagsheep
Beehive Cheese Co: Silver for Red Butte Hatch Chile; Bronze for Queen Bee Porcini, Big John’s Cajun and Seahive
Belfiore Cheese Co.: Bronze for Marinated Ciliegine and Feta Cheese in Brine 1 month
Belle Chevre: Silver for Belle Chevre Spreadable Goat Cheese – Honey
Carr Valley Cheese Co. Inc.: Silver for Blue Spruce Blue and Apple Smoked Cheddar; Bronze for Snow White Goat Cheddar, Ba Ba Blue and Smoked Marisa
Cellars at Jasper Hill: Super Gold for Harbison; Gold for Bayley Hazen Blue and Willoughby; Silver for Vault 5 Cave Aged; Bronze for Little Hosmer
Cowgirl Creamery: Gold for Wagon Wheel; Silver for Hop Along; Bronze for Mt Tam
Crooked Face Creamery: Bronze for Herbed Pressed Ricotta
Cypress Grove: Silver for Humboldt Fog; Bronze for Fog Lights
Firefly Farms: Bronze for MountainTop and Merry Goat Round
Goat Rodeo Farm & Dairy: Bronze for Bamboozle, Wild Rosemary and Hootenanny
Holland’s Family Cheese DBA Marieke Gouda: Gold for Marieke Gouda Hatch Pepper; Silver for Marieke Gouda Smoked, Marieke Gouda
Super 18-24 months, Marieke Gouda Aged 9-12 months and Marieke Gouda Overjarige; Bronze for Marieke Gouda Smoked Cumin, Marieke Gouda Mature 6-9 months, Marieke Gouda Belegen 4-6 months, Marieke Gouda Young 2-4 months, Marieke Gouda Truffle, Marieke Gouda Reserve and Marieke Golden Overjarige
Idyll Farms: Silver for Idyll Pastures, Idyll Pastures Fennel Pollen and Spreadable Idyll Pastures; Bronze for Idyll Pastures with Garlic and Herbs
Jacobs and Brichford Farmstead Cheese: Gold for JQ and Everton; Bronze for Everton Premium Reserve
Lactalis American Group-Buffalo: Silver for Ricotta; Bronze for Ricotta (2)
Lactalis American Group-Nampa: Silver for Bella Gento Mascarpone; Bronze for Marinated Fresh Mozzarella
Lactalis Heritage Dairy Inc.: Gold for Breakstone’s 4% Large Curd Cottage Cheese
Landmark Creamery: Bronze for Anabasque
Laura Chenel: Silver for Four Peppercorn Fresh Goat Cheese; Bronze for Garlic & Chive Fresh Goat Cheese, Original Fresh Goat Cheese Log and Black Truffle Marinated Goat Cheese
Leelanau Cheese: Super Gold for Leelanau Raclette; Gold for Leelanau Reserve
Lioni Latticini Inc.: Gold for Lioni Bufala Fresca; Silver for Lioni Ricotta Di Bufala
Marin French Cheese Co.: Silver for Petite Ash; Bronze for Petite Supreme, Golden Gate and Petite Crème
Meadow Creek Dairy: Super Gold for Appalachian
Merion Park Cheese Co. LLC/Erivan Dairy: Bronze for Loveneh
Murray’s Cheese: Super Gold for Hudson Flower; Gold for Double Doe; Silver for Stockinghall and Greensward; Bronze for Carpenter’s Wheel and Annelies
Parish Hill Creamery: Super Golds for Humble and Idyll; Bronze for Jack’s Blue and Vermont Herdsman
Perrystead Dairy LLC: Silver for Atlantis, The Real Philly Schmear and Intergalactic; Bronze for Treehug
Pineland Farms Dairy Co.; Silver for Mature Block Cheddar 3 year +
Pleasant Lane Farms Creamery LLC: Silver for 1976 Reserve Gouda; Bronze for Quark
Redhead Creamery: Gold for Lucky Linda Clothbound Cheddar; Silver for St. Anthony
Rogue Creamery: Silver for Caveman Blue Cheese, Bluehorn Blue Cheese and Reserve Touvelle; Bronze for Cheese Is Love Cheddar, Oregon Blue and Smokey Blue
Sartori Co: Gold for Sartori Reserve Espresso BellaVitano; Bronze for Sartori
Reserve Tomato Basil BellaVitano, Sartori Old World Cheddar and Sartori Reserve Garlic and Herb BellaVitano
Savencia Cheese USA: Bronze for Supreme Brie
Spring Brook Farm Cheese: Bronze for Reading, Tarentaise and Tarentaise Reserve
Sweet Grass Dairy: Gold for Griffin; Silver for Asher Blue and Green Hill; Bronze for Asher Blue Reserve and Tomasville Tomme
The Artisan Cheese Exchange: Gold for Deer Creek The Stag; Silver for Deer Creek The Wild Boar; Bronze for Deer Creek The Fawn, Deer Creek The Indigo Bunting and Deer Creek 7 Year Proprietor’s Grand Reserve Specialty Cheddar
The Farm at Doe Run: Gold for Hickory on the Hill and Creamery Collection Batch #17; Bronze for Hummingbird, Runnymede, Black Swallowtail, St. Malachi and St. Malachi Reserve
Tillamook County Creamery Association: Gold for Tillamook Maker’s Reserve 2012 Extra Sharp White Cheddar; Silver for Tillamook Maker’s Reserve 2020 Extra Sharp White Cheddar and Tillamook Hickory Smoked Extra Sharp White Cheddar; Bronze for Tillamook Maker’s Reserve 2016 Extra Sharp White Cheddar
Urban Stead Cheese Co.: Bronze for Street Ched – Clothbound Cheddar Aged and Aged Gouda
Vermont Creamery: Gold for Wild Blueberry, Lemon and Thyme Goat Cheese, and Honey Truffle Goat Cheese; Silver for Bonne Bouche, Coupole, St. Albans and Crème Fraîche; Bronze for Cremont, Mascarpone and Herb Goat Cheese
Von Trapp Farmstead: Gold for Mt. Alice (Bloomy Rind Cheese); Bronze for Mad River Blue Cheese
W.D. Hoard & Sons Co.: Bronze for Gouda
Wegmans: Super Gold for 1916; Gold for Truffle Shuffle; Bronze for Professor’s Brie
Widmers Cheese Cellars: Silver for Brick Spread with added Jalapeno Peppers; Bronze for Matterhorn Alpine Cheddar.
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Source: Cheese Market News
Image Courtesy of: Ostelandet Norge
