The Big Cheese
Does the smell of stinky socks make you hungry? The 2025 World Cheese Awards took place on November 13, in Bern, Switzerland. More than 250 judges sampled the best—and smelliest—cheeses from around the world. (In the world of cheese, a strong scent can be a good thing!)
More than 5,200 cheeses from 46 countries were judged based on flavor, scent, and texture. They were also judged based on “mouthfeel,” the physical feeling certain foods create in the mouth.
This year’s winner was of a type called gruyère, which comes from the Swiss town of Gruyères, just a few miles from Bern. “Anyone who eats it . . . just gets excited about it and wants to go back for more,” said judge Perry Wakeman during the live-streamed judging session.







