Sometimes a small craft finds its way across the world and returns carrying honour, and so it was when four Indian cheeses travelled to São Paulo for the Brazilian World Cheese Championship in 2026. In their first appearance at that gathering of artisans from more than thirty nations, the producers brought home one Super Gold, two Golds and a Silver, a quiet signal that dairy made in the Himalayas, in Kerala, and in the Indian heartland can hold its own before judges weighing quality, terroir and invention. Prime Minister Narendra Modi noticed, and his acknowledgement places these modest wheel
India's Cheesemakers Win Super Gold, Two Golds and a Silver at Brazil's World Cheese Championship
Four cheeses from India went to São Paulo and came back with medals.
Mark
Four medals on a first try. Why does that matter beyond the cheese?
Mimi
Because it's a debut. India sent artisanal products into a field of 30-plus countries and a 350-judge panel, and four came home with medals.
Luke
Worth noting the source for the medal list is the Prime Minister's post, which the article quotes. I don't see the organisers' own results here.
Mark
What strikes you about the cheeses themselves?
Mimi
The range. A French-style Brie, a Himalayan yak cheese, a Norwegian-style caramel whey cheese, and a pepper-and-garlic ball from Kerala pepper.
Mark
Three of the four are styles from elsewhere.
Mimi
Yes, Brie, Brunost and Belper Knolle styles. Yak chhurpi is the one rooted in Himalayan cooking.
Luke
The tasting descriptions are the writer's, and one says the yak cheese is only reportedly good in soups and curries. That isn't tested here.
Mark
Do we know about export or policy effects?
Luke
No. The Prime Minister said the wins strengthen the sector, but nothing in the reporting shows sales or export changes yet.
Mimi
So that's what to watch: whether producers get support after the praise.
Il Polso
- A debut entry from India faced a field of more than thirty countries and a panel of 350 judges, and it came home with four medals.
- The top prize, a Super Gold for the French-style Eleftheria Gulmarg Brie, lifted an unfamiliar name onto an international stage.
- Prime Minister Modi's public praise on X turned a competition result into a national moment for artisanal producers.
- The winners, from a Ladakh farm to a Kerala-spiced hard cheese, are now poised to draw foreign attention and possible support for export and small-scale makers.
Sometimes a small craft finds its way across the world and returns carrying honour, and so it was when four Indian cheeses travelled to São Paulo for the Brazilian World Cheese Championship in 2026. In their first appearance at that gathering of artisans from more than thirty nations, the producers brought home one Super Gold, two Golds and a Silver, a quiet signal that dairy made in the Himalayas, in Kerala, and in the Indian heartland can hold its own before judges weighing quality, terroir and invention. Prime Minister Narendra Modi noticed, and his acknowledgement places these modest wheels and wedges within a larger hope that the patient labour of artisanal dairy will earn India a more confident place on the world's tables.
Four cheeses from India went to São Paulo this year and came back with medals. At the 2026 Mundial do Queijo do Brasil, the fourth edition of the championship, Indian producers took home one Super Gold, two Golds and a Silver on their very first try.
The competition draws artisanal products from more than thirty countries, and a panel of 350 judges weighs each one on quality, terroir and innovation. Against that crowded field, the Indian debut stood out. Prime Minister Narendra Modi celebrated the results on his official X account, naming the winners and crediting Mausam Narang and Thenlay Nurboo, and he said such successes strengthen India's artisanal dairy sector on the world stage.
The four cheeses could hardly be more different. The Super Gold went to Eleftheria Gulmarg, a French-style double-creme Brie with a velvety rind that turns gooey toward the centre, earthy and buttery with a clean, indulgent finish. The Gold for Yak Churpi-Soft, from Nordic Farm in Leh, Ladakh, is milder and tangier, moist and creamy, and used in Himalayan soups and curries. Eleftheria Brunost, the other Gold, is a Norwegian-style whey cheese cooked slowly for hours until it tastes of salted caramel and toffee, closer to confectionery than savoury fare. The Silver, Kaali Miri, is an aged, firm cheese ball in the Belper Knolle style, flavoured with Kerala black pepper and garlic, and it can be shaved, grated or crumbled over dishes.
The prime minister's praise points toward more support for India's artisanal dairy producers, and these wins may bring them greater attention abroad.
Four cheeses from India went to São Paulo this year and came back with medals. At the 2026 Mundial do Queijo do Brasil, the Brazilian World Cheese Championship, Indian producers took one Super Gold, two Golds and a Silver in their first appearance at the event.
The championship is held in São Paulo and was in its fourth edition this year. More than 30 countries typically send artisanal products, and a panel of 350 judges assesses them on quality, terroir and innovation. Against that field, the Indian debut stood out.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi marked the result in a post on his official X account. He described the debut as impressive and listed the winners. The Super Gold went to Eleftheria Gulmarg, a Brie-style cheese. Golds went to Yak Churpi-Soft from Nordic Farm in Leh, Ladakh, and to Eleftheria Brunost, a whey cheese. The Silver went to Eleftheria Kaali Miri, made in the style of Belper Knolle. He congratulated Mausam Narang and Thenlay Nurboo by name, and said such successes strengthen India's artisanal dairy sector on the world stage.
The four cheeses are very different from one another. Gulmarg, the top winner, is a French-style double-creme Brie with a velvety rind. It grows gooier toward the centre, with a buttery, earthy, mushroomy character and a mild, clean flavour that ends on an indulgent note.
The Soft Yak Chhurpi is milder and tangier. Ricotta and cottage cheese are the nearest comparisons, though its dairy flavour is more pronounced. Its texture is moist, creamy and soft, and it is reportedly used in Himalayan cooking in soups, curries and chutneys. It is not heavily salted, which likely lets it take on the flavours around it.
Eleftheria Brunost sits at the opposite end of the spectrum. It is a Norwegian-style whey cheese that tastes of salted caramel and milk fudge, with lasting toffee notes. Whey, milk and cream are cooked slowly for hours until they caramelise and take on a nutty depth. The result is firm yet creamy, closer to confectionery than to a savoury cheese.
The Silver winner, Kaali Miri, is an aged, firm cheese ball in the Belper Knolle style. It is flavoured with Kerala black pepper and carries heavy garlic notes. It is pliable enough to be shaved, grated or crumbled over savoury dishes.
The prime minister's remarks point toward support for India's artisanal dairy producers, and the wins may draw more attention to them abroad.
Citazioni salienti
Such successes strengthen India's artisanal dairy sector on the world stage.— Prime Minister Narendra Modi, on X
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