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The world's best cheese comes from Norway

NTB/The Local
NTB/The Local - [email protected]
The world's best cheese comes from Norway
Norwegian cheesemaker Gunnar Waagen was left "speechless" by the win. Photo: NTB Scanpix

When one thinks of countries renowned for their cheese, Norway isn’t likely the first to spring to mind. And if those outside of the Nordic nation know anything about Norwegian cheese at all, they probably associate it with brunost, a type of sweet brown goat's cheese.

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But that might change thanks to the surprise results of the 2016 World Cheese Awards. 
 
Norwegian producer Tingvollost took home the title as the world’s best cheese for its blue cheese Kraftkar.
 
 
The local cheese producer from Torjulvågen in Nordmøre outdistanced all competitors from the international dairy industry when it was named ‘champion of champions’ among cheeses at the 29th World Cheese Awards in San Sebastian, Spain. 
 
What’s more, the Norwegian blue cheese topped two Spanish cheeses on its way to the crown.
 
 
“I’m totally speechless; this is absolutely fantastic for a small family business like Tingvollost,” said the company’s chairman Gunnar Waagen upon receiving the award. 
 
Tingvollost is a family dairy farm that creates 20 tonnes of cheese annually, using milk from its own farm. 
 
The Nordmøre cheese was selected by 266 judges from 26 countries, who in total tasted and judged 3,021 cheeses from 31 countries. 
 
Kraftkar has previously won major international competitions, including gold medals from the World Cheese Awards in 2011 and the International Cheese Awards in 2013.
 
 
 
 

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