No, not France, not Italy, not the UK or the US, not Spain but you're getting warmer. The Canary Islands!
Well I told you it would be a surprise. It's a goats' cheese called Queso Arico curado pimentón’ made by a co-operative, Sociedad Canaria de Formento. The cheese is pressed and regularly brushed with paprika and gofia, a powdered cereal unique to the Canary Islands, before being matured for around six months.
Apparently it was a close run thing. The other finalists were a soft cows’ milk cheese from Canada called Cendré de Lune which tied with a Von Muhlenen Le Gruyere and a Fourme d’Ambert, produced by Morin Père et Fils.
The result is hugely fortuitous as the Canary Islands are hosting next year's event - pure coincidence according to the organiser Bob Farrand. "I'm sure people will think it's one of those Eurovision Song Contest type fixes but the final votes were cast in sealed envelopes" he assured me.
Apparently the highest ranking British cheese was a Colston Bassett Stilton which just failed to make the top four.
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6 comments:
Am not surprised - there's wonderful food to be found in the Canaries, my family's been going there for 25 years and can't get enough of it!
I'm ashamed to say I had no idea they made great cheese. Can't wait to try it!
Wow! Thank you for enlightening me! Will try to source for it. :0
And hopefully I'll learn something about food in Singapore from you, homeladychef :)
A friend of mine has just brought me over a piece from Tenerife. It's delicious. Incidentally it costs her €3.66 for 415g. I have found it for sale on the UK web for £24.50/kg + £5 postage.
Like your blog.
Thanks for the info. I'm going to send your column to a judge [and friend] at the World Cheese Awards in the Canary Islands this October so he can check it out [although I'm sure he already knows about it - haven't been able to stump him on a cheese question yet!].
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