French kick up stink over latest global cheese rankings
French gastronomes are in meltdown after not one of the country’s famed fromages made it into the top 10 of the world’s best-rated cheese list by a global food website.
taly came top of the TasteAtlas list, with Parmesan in top position, followed by Burrata and Grana Padano. Indeed, only two of the top 10 were non-Italian – Bundz, a Polish cheese made from sheep’s milk, and Serra da Estrela, a semi-soft sheep’s milk cheese from Portugal. The highest-placed French cheese was reblochon, in 13th position, with comte, in 14th place. Camembert was in 91st place.
Britain fared worse, without a single UK cheese featuring in the rankings (Irish Dubliner cheese was ranked 36th). BFMTV, a French news channel, said the results were a “crushing blow for French gastronomy”.
Some French cheesemongers turned up their noses at the rankings, with one suspecting it was rigged. “The judges must have been Italian,” he said. Others conceded that the Italians were better at promoting their cheese abroad.
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