France’s Cheese Reign Starts: The Finest Cheese on Earth Requires the Crown

A classic Burgundy cheese has emerged as the champion at the ‘world cup of cheese’ recognized as the Mondial Fromage et des Produits Laitiers. The winner of the esteemed title of ‘Best Cheese in the World’ for 2023 is the ‘Berthaut Epoisses ‘Perrière’. This renowned cheese, produced from cow’s milk in the Burgundy area of Côte-d’Or, is well-known for its soft texture and distinct aroma. The cheese had previously secured second location in the 2021 edition of the competitors.

The sixth Mondial du Fromage et des Produits Laitiers took location in Tours, France, and featured a 12-member international jury. Chaired by Rungis International Industry President Stéphane Layani, the jury had to pick the winner from a pool of 1,550 items. The submissions, from 200 exhibitors hailing from 48 nations, had to be produced with at least 50% milk and had been judged anonymously to assure impartiality. About 250 international experts assessed the items primarily based on criteria such as presentation, reduce, texture, aroma, and taste.

This biennial competitors saw the following cheeses emerge as the best ten winners:
1. Epoisses AOP (French)
two. L’Etivas AOP (Swiss)
three. Couronne de Touraine (French)
four. Fromager d’Affinois le Fromager (French)
five. Camembert Lait Cru (French)
six. Le Petit Cru Bio (French)
7. Trèfle du Perche (French)
eight. Caprinus du Lago (Brazilian)
9. Chabichoi du Poitou AOP (French)
ten. Le Charolais AOP (French)

It is worth noting that eight out of the ten winners are French cheeses. This outcome is probably a relief for France, as an earlier ranking by the TasteAtlas meals web page in February 2023 did not incorporate any French cheeses in the best ten of the ‘100 Finest Rated Cheeses in the World’. In that ranking, Reblochon and Comté had been the highest-ranking French cheeses, putting 13th and 14th, respectively. France was overshadowed by eight Italian cheeses, as properly as cheeses from Mexico, Portugal, Poland, and Brazil. All round, only eight French cheeses produced it to the best 50 of the list. This was a considerable blow for a nation recognized for its wide range of far more than 1,000 cheese sorts.

On the other hand, the current victory at the Mondial Fromage et des Produits Laitiers is a triumph for France and assists to alleviate the disappointment from earlier rankings. It is a exceptional comeback, and France can when once again take pride in its cheese-producing prowess.