A soft Spanish goat's cheese has done enough to seduce this year's judges at the World Cheese Awards, with Olavidia being crowned the best cheese in the world and beating more than 4000 entries from over 40 countries on five continents.
"I just wanted to go to bed with it," said British judge Jason Hinds, one of the 250 judges at the event, when describing the rich and creamy cheese during the ceremony live-streamed from Oviedo in northern Spain. “This cheese charmed me and stole my heart. This is unlike anything I’ve seen before. Its appearance is so original and it didn’t let me down. It’s unctuous, seductive, pillowy, warm and comforting.”
The small family-run Spanish cheesemaker, Quesos y Besos (Cheeses and Kisses), located in Jaen, Southern Spain, began making cheese just five years ago. Head cheesemaker Silvia Peláez was in awe of the win, saying: "Everything we do is inspired by our love for our family, including the name of the business itself, Quesos y Besos (Cheese and Kisses), so this is such a special moment for us. We’ve made it our mission to encapsulate the essence of our family in all of our cheeses."
