Canary Island cheese crowned best in the world

The World’s best cheese has been crowned as the ‘Queso Arico curado pimenton’ cheese from Canary Island co-operative the Sociedad Canaria de Formento at the World Cheese Awards 2008.

In the closest ever final of the awards, the Canary Island’s cheese was selected as the overall winner by a panel of experts that included Anthony Worrall Thompson and Mark Hix.

Made from Canary Island goats and animal rennet, which is pressed and brushed regularly with paprika and gofia, a powdered cereal unique to the area, the cheese is matured for around six months and has been made in the Canary Islands and Spanish regions for generations.

Bob Farrand, organiser of the awards, said: “I had already classified the Canary Islands as the lightweight champions of the world even before the jury cast its votes. For their size, they had won a sack full of gold awards over the last 10 years so they were always capable of producing a knock out blow. Now they’ve done it by beating all others to World Champion Cheese 2008.”

After 11 of 12 votes for the finalist had been cast, there were still three cheeses vying for first place, including a Canadian soft cow’s milk cheese CendrT de Lune, a Von Muhlenen Le Gruy?re AOC and a Fourme d’Ambert produced by Marin P?re et Fils.