Pecorino Superiore 180 giorni by Otto Passi wins Bronze in the Pecorini category at World Cheese Awards 2022.
Società Agricola Radicas has been named among the winners at the World Cheese Awards, which was held at the International Convention Centre Wales in Newport, on Wednesday 2 November. Standing out from the 4,434 entries, the Pecorino Superiore 180 giorni, a variety cheese made by Otto Passi won the coveted Bronze award in the world’s most prestigious cheese-only event.
The Pecorino Superiore 180 giorni impressed some of the world’s leading experts in cheese, featuring cheesemakers, cheesemongers, buyers, chefs, retailers, and writers. The cheeses were scored on aspects such as the appearance of the rind and paste, as well as the cheese’s aroma, body, and texture, with the majority of points awarded for flavour and mouthfeel.
The award-winning Pecorino Superiore 180 giorni is made it is produced with raw milk from its own company, raw dough with lamb rennet and with the use of natural starters cultures, following the true recipe of the authentic Sardinian pecorino.
“We could not imagine receiving such a prestigious award after only one year from the birth of Otto Passi – commented Rita Tolu -. And what a year! Because the normal vicissitudes of a start-up just started were also joined by the emergencies caused by natural disasters such as that of the invasion of locusts, which overwhelmed our company “.
“If it is essential that the transformation follows the traditional recipe, it is equally essential for us to adopt all the suitable technologies that guarantee, first of all, absolute respect for the raw material, which does not undergo any contamination and, above all, hygiene and food safety” , adds Tolu.
“We do not consider this award a goal – she concluded – but a springboard towards the international market, where we want to get our cheeses. We want to tell the Sardinia of young people who decide to stay in spite of everything or to return after an experience abroad and stubbornly work to create their future in their own land, where there are unimaginable opportunities”.
This year’s World Cheese Awards was the 34th edition and has seen more entries than ever before with a record-breaking 4,434 cheeses submitted from 42 countries and 900 companies from around the globe (10.9% UK based, 89.1% international). The cheeses included increased entries from Canada, Argentina, Slovenia, and Israel, whilst India followed its first entry in 2021 with several more this year and Ukraine saw a huge increase in entries after the World Cheese Awards was moved to Wales from its original 2022 location of Kyiv. Well-established cheesemaking nations such as France, Italy, Spain, and the United Kingdom were well represented by both returning and new entrants, with a notable increase in Swiss entries.
All entries were judged in a single day, as 250 experts from 38 different nations studied their appearance, texture, aroma, and flavour. Bronze, Silver, Gold, and Super Gold accolades were awarded during the morning session before the Super Golds were reassessed to find this year’s top 16 cheeses and this year’s World Champion Cheese.
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