If you aren't familiar with what exactly a cheesemonger does, that's okay. The complexities of the profession can be tricky to understand. There's the commercial side, where cheesemongers work with producers and consumers to buy and sell cheese. There's also an olfactory-talent side, a.k.a. being able to identify cheeses from a mere whiff.
Cheesemongers' talents were front and center at the the 2022 Cheesemonger Invitational in Brooklyn, New York, earlier this month. Present at the event were many cheeses from around the world to be sampled as part of an intense, multi-event competition to determine the best cheesemonger in the country.
"We honor cheesemongers by putting them center stage in a unique competition that showcases their technical skills, encyclopedic knowledge, and passionate salesmanship," reads a description on the Cheesemonger Invitational website. "We inspire them through educational workshops led by the best cheesemakers in the world. And then we throw one hell of a party to celebrate the finalists, watch them compete on stage, and crown one them as the best cheesemonger in the country."
This year, the best cheesemonger title was awarded to Chicagoan Cara Condon. What helped her clinch victory? As Julia Moskin reported for The New York Times, Condon excelled at the cheese-and-beverage pairing event. She was tasked with pairing a drink with an alpine cheese, and went with a highly unique, seemingly risky choice.
“I know it sounds absolutely disgusting,” she said of her Galliano coffee liqueur and pineapple juice concoction. “But the bitterness, and the maltiness, and the sugar and soft acidity of pineapple really works with Chällerhocker.” (Chällerhocker is a firm and creamy alpine cheese washed in wine and spices.)
We'd absolutely love to try Condon's winning cheese-and-beverage pairing—and pretty much all of the cheese at this amazing event. Maybe next year.
