It’s official — Swiss cheese is the best in the world.
Cheeses from Alpine Switzerland won 37 of 60 medals available at the third annual Mountain Cheese Olympics, including 13 gold medals, the organisers said.
More than 400 mountain cheeses from around the world competed in the four-day event, held in the small cheese-producing town of Appenzell in eastern Switzerland.
The organisation that arranged the event, Caseus Montanus — which means “mountain cheese” in Latin — was founded in 2002 by representatives from France, Italy and Switzerland. The group aims to promote the economies of mountain regions.
“The mountain population perceives increasing globalisation as a threat to its existence,” Caseus Montanus says on its website.
“The different foodstuffs, produced under difficult conditions, can only reach their full market potential if all those concerned work together.”
The group claims the annual Mountain Cheese Olympics, which started in 2002, “makes a significant contribution to promoting public awareness of these products”.
Italy’s cheeses came in second in the rankings, with eight medals, followed by France with seven. Austrian cheeses won four medals, and Japan, Mexico, Portugal and Spain each won one medal. — Sapa-AP
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Caseus Montanus