Now, there’s a loaded question if ever I heard one! But it appears there’s an annual World Champion Cheese Contest, held in Madison, Wisconsin this year, and its judges have come up with one that they say topped the rest of the 2,615 entries from around the world…
The Sinnesberger Emmentaler (pictured above, and whose name is a mouthful in itself) took top spot at the World’s with a final score of 96.85 out of 100. What’s that you say? They judge cheese so precisely that winning or losing could come down to a one hundredth of a per cent? Apparently so…
The winner, which by its victory could claim the right to the title ‘Best in the World’, was made by one Gerard Sinnesberger. And he has a right to be proud. But who are these Cheese Moguls who judged the contest and what right do they have to call themselves Experts?
Trick question!
Their qualifications don’t matter. The point is, the term ‘Best’ can have infinite shades of meaning and every cheese lover will have his or her own favourite for his or her own reasons. Maybe one just doesn’t like Old Cheddar. Or another has ‘thing’ for it. Judging Cheese is more like judging art than judging something like Formula One racing or Olympic Curling. In those sports, you either win or lose. And that’s that. No questions. But tasting Cheese is totally subjective. More like Figure Skating. And you know what say about Figure Skating judging. (And who doesn’t?)
So, yes, I question the process of Judging Cheese. Of course, I also question the two-decimal-point differentiations that the Booze experts proclaim over what they assert are the world’s best Wines, Beers and Spirits. But mostly I question the culture that sees the need for such fine determinations. The only people who can tell the difference are those who do the judging. If it were otherwise, we’d all be Wine and Cheese Judges!
Bragging rights
Okay… I’m totally discounting the marketing points and bragging rights that the winners of food competitions get from their victories. But that’s about all a ‘96.95’ means, in practical terms. I mean, can you tell the difference between an award-winning French Bordeaux and a decent Cali Cab-Franc in a blind test? What’s more, how much do you care? Enough to pay a lot more for the ‘winner’? Most folks don’t.
The Moral(s) to this story…
1. Trust your taste. Other people’s opinions – including expert judges – are just that: Other people’s.
2. The Grand Champion in any food or booze contest may not necessarily be your favourite. Keep an open mind, and a clear palate.
3. Always think of food and wine judging as a matter of art, not science. There are no absolutes!
By the way…
If you’re wondering how the U.S. and Canada did, overall, at the Cheese World’s, here’s the link to the 2014 competition’s complete results…
~ Maggie J.