The Calaveruela cheese factory of Source Obejuna has won one of the most precious recognitions in the world of cheeses: the Gold of the World Cheese Awards 2024 for your Montanera cured cheese.
The Calaveruela proposal has achieved one of the most important distinctions, standing out among the 4,786 cheeses registered in this year’s contest, a benchmark in the world of dairy products.
In addition to the Gold for Montanera, the Cordoban cheese factory has obtained two silver distinctions for your Siembra (semi-cured) and Reserva (old) cheeseswhich in the words of those responsible for the cheese factory reinforces their work and means global recognition of the work we have been doing in the field with livestock for several generations and in the cheese factory since 1980.
This is the Gold of the Calaveruela
The cheese distinguished at the World Cheese Awards is a raw sheep’s milk cheese with more than 4 months of maturation on wooden boards. During this time the cheese enjoys rind care, with daily turning and application of virgin olive oil. In the mouth it is a round cheese, without edges in the flavor and aromas, with memories of fields and hayfruit of grazing.
First time in the contest
According to Juan Naranjo, from Calaveruela Quesería, “it has been a huge surprise and an honor to have achieved this award since the level has been very high and it is very commendable to stand out among so many delicious cheeses. Even more so thinking that it was the first time we participated in this important championship.”
“This award is an encouragement for the field work and cheese factory teams, who day after day, every day, put the best of themselves into thinking about making the best cheese possible. We hope to reinforce the trust that our customers place in us week after week by searching for that different cheese, with ‘terroir’, that champions territory,” adds Naranjo.
1,032 cheese factories in competition
The World Cheese Awards 2024 was held this year in Viseu, Portugal, with the presence of 1,032 cheese factories that submitted 4,786 cheeses to the jury for evaluation. This year’s event also happens to be the edition with the most participantswhich increases the merit of those awarded the Bronze, Silver, Gold and Super Gold awards.
The task of choosing the winners has been a jury made up of 240 judges from 39 countriesdistributed in 104 teams to carry out the tasting and selection in a single day. The cheeses were meticulously evaluated on aspects such as rind and paste appearance, aroma, body, texture and, above all, flavor and mouthfeel.
