A panel of 260 judges from 25 countries ranked a U.S. cheese—Rogue Creamery’s Rogue River Blue—the best in the world at the 2019 World Cheese Awards (WCA).

US cheesemakers continue to receive global recognition, winning 89 medals in a prestigious international competition. In fact, U.S. cheeses rank third overall in total medal counts since 2011, only behind Spain and UK and ahead of better known cheese making countries like France and Italy.

The 2018 edition of the World Cheese Awards were held this month in Bergen, Norway. A record-breaking 3,500 cheeses from six continents were entered. An international panel of 230 experts from 29 nations ranked U.S. cheeses among the best in the world.

The U.S. cheese industry embodies a legacy of hundreds of years of excellence stemming from a melting pot of backgrounds and cultures. The vast multicultural experiences brought to the U.S. by immigrants have fostered a deep history of outstanding cheese making. Today, this heritage of experience and knowledge, combined with efforts of talented and creative cheese artisans all across the U.S. pushes traditional limits toward new and elegant cheese flavors. This ‘Unbound by Tradition’ renaissance has dramatically increased recognition of the U.S. cheese industry in markets around the world.

U.S. cheeses provide aroma, flavor and texture to many dishes around the globe. Whether standing alone or serving as an ingredient, a festive table isn’t complete without the delicious dairy delicacy. As explored in the December issue of Cuisine and Wine Asia, the foodservice industry has the opportunity to bring this at-home comfort to a dining experience with innovative menu items using cheese.

Cheese is the ultimate flavor carrier. The four simple ingredients in cheese — milk, salt, starter culture (good bacteria) and rennet (an enzyme) — make the perfect landscape for countless flavor profiles. One small addition to the formulation and a new cheese is born. This creative ability is used by U.S. cheesemakers to produce more than 600 cheese varieties ranging from soft, fresh options all the way to hard, aged varieties. Food and beverage professionals worldwide are experimenting with these new cheese products to naturally meet diverse consumer tastes.