Break out the raclette, the World Championship Cheese Contest has two new categories for 2024

Jelissa Burns, Appleton Post-Crescent
·2 min read

For the first time since its start in 1957, the World Championship Cheese Contest, held every two years, will accept raclette class entries for the competition.

Raclette is a cheese typically melted in front of a fire or using a special machine and usually served as part of a Swiss dish by the same name.

The contest is also debuting the specific class for pasteurized process cheese products, giving the opportunity for worldwide manufacturers to submit their products.

Entries to the contest are judged by a team of world-renowned judges, and are evaluated based on defects in flavor, body and texture, salt, color, finish and packaging.

"The World Championship Cheese Contest is always evolving, thanks to the leadership of our dedicated Contest Committee," said Wisconsin Cheese Makers Association contest director Kristen Strohmenger in a news release. "These new classes reflect the ever-changing trends and innovations of the dairy processing industry.”

More: A Wisconsin cheese comes out tops in World Championship Cheese Contest

In 2016, Emmi-Roth USA out of Monroe was named the World Champion for its washed-rind, alpine style cheese submission. It had been the first time in nearly 30 years that a cheese made in the U.S. won the contest. In 2022, Muenster curds from Decatur Dairy Inc. in Brodhead and hickory bacon curds from Ellsworth Cooperative Creamery in Ellsworth cleaned up the competition's two then-brand new cheese curd categories (previously, curds were judged in the natural snack cheese category).

This year, the association is offering discounted entries, allowing competitors to submit for only $75 if done before Dec 1. Any entries after that date will cost $90 each and must be submitted by Jan 26. Submissions can be entered online at worldchampioncheese.org.

Judging for the competition will begin in March 2024 and will be held at the Monona Terrace Convention Center in Madison. More information can be found on the contest's website.

Reach Jelissa Burns at 920-453-5107 or jburns1@gannett.com. Follow her on Twitter at @burns_jelissa or on Instagram at burns_jelissa.

This article originally appeared on Appleton Post-Crescent: 2024 World Cheese Championship Contest sets raclette, processed categories