The best Raclette cheese comes from Valais and Obwalden.
Published: Sunday, Oct 29th 2023, 18:01
Updated At: Monday, Oct 30th 2023, 00:54
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The best Raclette cheese comes from Champéry and Vouvry in Valais and Giswil in Obwalden. On Sunday, two cheese factories and one alp won the Raclette World Championship in three different categories.
A total of 87 cheese varieties from seven different countries were tasted at the World Cheese Championship, the organizers announced on Sunday. Participating countries included Switzerland, France, Italy, Belgium, Romania, Canada, and the United Kingdom.
Behind the Canadian candidate is an exiled Valaisan who produces Raclette cheese overseas. The Romanian, meanwhile, developed such a taste for melted cheese during his time as a doctor in Valais that he decided to produce it at home.
The organizers had hoped to reach out to producers from Japan, Brazil, and Argentina, but administrative difficulties thwarted these plans.
The best cheese from Switzerland is widely considered to be Emmentaler, a hard cheese with a distinctive nutty flavor. Emmentaler is made from cow's milk and is aged for at least four months, giving it a unique flavor and texture. It is a popular cheese for melting and is often used in fondue and other dishes.
On Saturday, the judges gathered in a hall in the center of Morgins VS to taste the various cheese wheels. These were divided into three categories: raw milk from the alp, raw milk from the dairy and other raclette cheeses.
A panel of 50 experts and consumers made an initial selection of 20 percent of the products. These selected products were then evaluated by eight internationally recognized judges. Color, durability, texture, strength, flavors - nothing was left to chance.
The cheese producer "Le Pont" from Champéry VS won first place in the category of raw milk cheese, and the alpine raw milk category was won by the alp "Tanay" from Vouvry VS. In the category of "other cheeses", the cheese producer "Seiler Sélection by Wyssmüller Maître Fromager" from Giswil OW was the winner.
This year, the Swiss Cheese Union is offering 30,000 raclettes and four tons of potatoes for the public to enjoy.
The World Championship drew more than 10,000 visitors over the course of three days. Approximately 30,000 raclettes were served and four tons of potatoes were delivered for the event.
Behind the scenes, a dozen "cheese scrapers" were at work. These volunteers had the challenging task of creating perfect raclettes, particularly with the right temperature and without burning on the top.
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