13.11.2026 19:30
At the World Cheese Awards held in Spain, 5,330 cheeses from 45 countries competed. In the final of the competition held to determine the world's best cheese, when three cheeses received the same score, a small difference determined the winner. First place went to Comté cheese produced in France and aged for exactly 2 years. It drew attention that the champion cheese was prepared at the facilities of a family company founded in 1907.
In a competition held in Spain to determine the world's best cheese, thousands of products competed fiercely. Among the cheeses evaluated by jury members for characteristics such as taste, aroma and texture, the 24-month Comté from France won first place.
5,330 CHEESES FROM 45 COUNTRIES COMPETED
The World Cheese Awards, held in Córdoba, Spain, brought together cheese producers from different countries around the world. A total of 5,330 cheeses from 45 countries participated in the competition held on Thursday. Products from countries prominent in cheese production such as Italy, Switzerland, Spain and France competed to be chosen as the world's best. The cheeses placed on tables in the competition area were examined one by one by expert jury members. In the evaluations, not only the taste of the products but also their aroma, appearance, texture and the sensation they left in the mouth were taken into account.
THE WORLD'S BEST CHEESE CAME FROM FRANCE
In the organization where thousands of cheeses competed, first place went to the 24-month Comté cheese produced in France's Franche-Comté region. The hard cheese made from unpasteurized cow's milk won the admiration of jury members with its distinctive nutty aroma and layered flavor. The winning cheese was aged at the Fort des Rousses facilities in the Jura region near the Swiss border. The cheese, prepared by the family company JuraFlore, founded in 1907, was aged for 2 years, which played a decisive role in the development of its flavor.
THREE CHEESES RECEIVED THE SAME SCORE! A SMALL DIFFERENCE DETERMINED THE WINNER
The excitement continued until the last moment in the final of the competition. The cheeses that won the Super Gold award in the first round advanced to the next stage. Then, in a live tasting held on stage, 14 jury members scored to determine the champion. Each of the jury members gave the cheeses a score out of seven. The French Comté cheese, a Swiss-made mountain cheese and a younger French sheep's milk cheese tied with 81 points each. When the three cheeses reached the same score, an evaluation was made to break the tie. Comté achieved first place thanks to having the lowest difference among the scores it received from the jury members.
THE SECRET OF THE CHAMPION CHEESE IS THE 2-YEAR WAIT
Patrick McGuigan, host of the World Cheese Awards and a cheese writer, explained that the aging period is of great importance in the flavor of the winning cheese. According to McGuigan, in cheese production, time stands out as an important component as much as milk, starter cultures, rennet and salt.