The World's Best Cheese For 2022 Has Been Made Official

Each year, the World Cheese Awards (WCA) competition — part of The Guild of Fine Food (GFF) — is held to declare the best of the best cheese from around the world. Cheesemakers from all over the world can compete for overall prizes, as well as for country- and variety-specific awards during the competition. This year's competition was held in Wales and was actually sponsored by the Welsh government.

The World Cheese Awards took place on November 2, according to GFF, beginning just after 10 a.m. that day. The judging panel changes each year, ensuring that the process is unbiased. Judges work in teams of three, working their way through 98 different tables piled high with cheese to find the best, multi-dimensional morsels, according to CNN. The cheeses were judged based on smell, feel, and of course, taste. After a fierce competition between over 4,000 different cheeses, the final results are finally in, and one specific cheese came out on top.

Around 4,434 cheeses were imported from 42 countries to be judged by 250 international judges, reports CNN. The competitors were first narrowed down to 98 super gold champions — the best of each table — and then cut down to 16, before the one final winner was chosen.

The judges on the Super Jury — made up of internationally recognized experts in the field — chose Le Gruyère AOP surchoix from Switzerland as the grand champion after debating in front of a live audience. The judges noted that the cheese had flavor hints of herbs, fruits, and leather. It was made by the cheesemaker Vorderfultigen, and refined by Gourmino to create a melt-in-your-mouth, slightly crumbly cheese.

After a close race, De' Magi's Gorgonzola Dolce DOP, an Italian buttery soft, blue cheese, slid into second place, just five points behind the gruyère (via WCA). The full list of this year's winners can be found on the World Cheese Awards website.