Mexico won six medals at the 2025 World Cheese Awards, held in Bern, Switzerland, from Nov. 13 to 15, with its quesos ranking among the top out of over 5,244 cheeses from 46 countries.
Producers brought cheeses from all over the world, navigating long plane rides and complex import legislation processes to participate in the awards.
Despite competing against countries with a longstanding tradition in cheesemaking and well-established production structures, Mexico won six awards, five of them for cheese dairies in Jalisco and one for Querétaro.
Mexico was not the only up-and-coming cheesemaker to win awards, with cheeses from Japan, Slovakia and the United States among the finalists.
However, a Swiss 18-month-aged Gruyère AOP from the Vorderfultigen mountain cheese dairy was hailed as the best cheese in the world this year, thanks to its crystalline texture and “brothy, umami” flavor.
The assessment of the cheeses was conducted by 265 judges in 110 teams, with a final round judged by a Super Jury composed of specialists from 14 countries. Just 14 cheeses advanced to the final stage.
During the event, cheeses were stripped of any identifying features and divided across 110 rows of tables to be blind tasted by two- or three-person judging teams. Judges were asked to assess the cheese based on appearance, smell, taste, texture and the feeling it gives in the mouth.
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The Mexican cheeses that placed among the top were:
Gold Medal – Best Latin American Cheese: Finca Las Luciérnagas Andante from Huimilpan, Querétaro. Made using sheep’s milk from a producer with certified animal welfare practices.
Silver Medal – La Providencia Mozzarella from San Miguel El Alto, Jalisco. A take on the Italian classic, made with pasteurized whole milk.
Silver Medal – Quesos Navarro Cheddar from Tepatitlán de Morelos, Jalisco. A cheddar made from fresh, pasteurized cow’s milk that the judges said could compete in any international market.
Silver Medal – Quesos Navarro Panela. A traditional Mexican fresh cheese, traditionally cured in whey.
Bronze Medal – Quesos Navarro Queso Fresco. Another traditional Mexican cheese, with Spanish roots.
Bronze Medal – Quesos Navarro Queso Menonita. A creamy cheese originating from Mennonite communities in the north of Mexico.
The 2026 cheese awards will take place in Córdoba, in Spain’s Andalusia region, where Mexico will have the chance to come back even stronger.
With reports from El Economista and CNN
