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Philadelphia prides itself on the cheesesteaks that are widely considered its most notable contribution to the culinary world. However, a woman hailing from the City of Brotherly Love has also managed to make a name for herself after becoming the first American to win a gold medal at an event known as the “Cheesemonger Olympics.”
In 1976, a British wine seller named Steven Spurrier organized a panel of nine judges hailing from France for the “Judgement of Paris,” which tasked the lineup of experts that included sommeliers, winemakers, and restaurateurs to grade wines produced in their native country along with some California vino in a blind tasting.
When everything was said and done, America pulled off a stunning upset, as the highest-scoring bottle in both the red and white categories hailed from Napa Valley. France attempted to downplay the results, but they were responsible for a massive paradigm shift after the United States proved it deserved to be taken seriously.
France is also known for having a bit of a superiority complex when it comes to the cheeses that are frequently paired with one of its other most notable exports, and the country is filled with cheesemongers who have mastered the art of that particular discipline. However, the United States has once again proved it can hang with the best during a recent competition.
Philadelphia cheesemonger Emilia D’Albero became the first American to take home a gold medal at the Mondial du Fromage
The Mondial du Fromage, known as the “Cheesemonger Olympics,” is a biennial competition held in France where the world’s foremost cheesemakers gather to go head-to-head in competitions that allow them to showcase their knowledge along with their products.
The main attraction tends to be the showdown that’s responsible for naming the best cheese on the planet, an honor that went to Le Gruyère AOP, the Swiss juggernaut that beat out over 1,900 cheeses to win Best in Show in the compeition that unfolded in the town of Tours midway through September.
However, there was also a gauntlet that saw 18 cheesemongers representing 14 different countries go head-to-head in trials that incldue oral and written tests, blind tastings, the creation of a cheese sculpture, and a test that requires them to measure out a specific amount of cheese by sight.
This year, the United States sent an all-female team consisting of Emilia D’Albero, a cheesemonger trained at the Philly Cheese School, and Courtney Johnson, the co-founder of Seattle’s Street Cheese.
They each more than managed to hold their own, as D’Albero ultimately became the first American to win a gold medal at the Mondial du Fromage (along with the $2,900 grand prize) while Johnson walked away with the bronze (France’s Matthieu Thuillier nabbed silver).
USA! USA! USA!