For epochs, humans have eaten and sold cheese. In France, where the written record of Roquefort goes back centuries, today’s cheesemongers — those who sell cheese — are as esteemed as the cheesemakers who produce some 1,200 types of fromage there.
The cheesemongering world’s crème de la crème will gather Sept. 10-12 in Tours, France, for the Mondial du Fromage, a three-day competition in which 16 international cheesemongers duke it out to be named World’s Best Cheesemonger. An American has never won the competition.
Two mongers from the Pacific Northwest will represent the underdog United States, where the profession has a shorter history — and a stinky reputation in the cheese world as unrefined newbies. The team, mentored by a reformed coach eyeing redemption and a Seattle cheesemonger who fell short at Mondial in 2019, has a better chance than ever to win the tournament — and to earn the U.S. respect in the international cheesemonger scene.
To read the rest of the story, please go to: Seattle Times
