Schedule: L - 10:00 to 14:00
Stand number: 8G50
Hall: 8
The GourmetQuesos Championship is now established as the most important of those held in Spain for the number of samples presented: this year 840 have been subnitted, in the last edition, the 32nd Gourmets Fair in 2018, 725 were submitted. Artisan cheeses represent more than 70%, so it can be considered as the benchmark cheese championship in Spain.
Spain has a rich cheese heritage, which is reflected in more than 200 varieties spread throughout the country. In addition to those recognized as high-quality cheeses (27 with Protected Designation of Origin and 2 with Protected Geographical Indication), more than fifty traditional cheeses and many other new ones must be added. This highlights the know-how of our cheese makers and the clear professionalization of the sector.
At the last edition, the participation record was broken, with 725 samples accepted, of which 95 came from Andalusia; 13 from Aragón; 22 from Asturias; 27 from the Balearic Islands; 52 from the Canary Islands; 16 from Cantabria; 125 from Castilla-La Mancha; 149 from Castile and León; 24 from Catalonia; 19 from the Valencian Community; 46 from Extremadura; 55 from Galicia; 5 from La Rioja; 19 from Madrid; 15 from Murcia; 19 from Navarra and 24 from the Basque Country.
The panel of judges/tasters is made up of technicians, master cheese makers, store managers, bloggers and gastronomic journalists, chefs, department store managers and restaurant managers who worship and love cheese. This heterogeneous profile of judges enables a more representative assessment that is closer to the tastes of the consumer.
Before the Grand Final, which takes place in the Salon Gourmets Fair, a Semi-final is celebrated in which, in the last edition, 72 cheeses were chosen. During the Gourmets Fair, 36 winning cheeses were selected, receiving their award on Thursday 10th. At the awards ceremony, the “The Best Cheese of Spain 2018” prize went to the firm Lácteos Romero Peláez from Jaen with Olavidia Quesos y Besos. This was for a soft cheese made in Guarromán, in the Sierra Morena region, from the milk of their Málaga breed of goats.
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