Meet the first American to win 'Best Cheesemonger in the World'

"Emilia D'Albero trained like an athlete: long hours, exacting drills, heavy lifting. She sculpted and sliced until her hands ached, then bought a second fridge to keep up with the demands of her routine. Her sport? Cheese. For months, the Philadelphia-based cheesemonger tasted, smelled and plated hundreds of pounds of cheese and practiced carving wheels into edible works of art. She made flash cards to memorize types of cheese and breeds of goats, sheep and cows."

"On Sept. 15, that dedication made her a world champion. In a competition that tested every skill a cheesemonger can wield, D'Albero, 31, sliced her way past the globe's best to be crowned "Meilleure Fromagère du Monde." That's French for "Best Cheesemonger in the World." The title came with a trio of historic firsts. D'Albero is the first American to win the Mondial du Fromage, one of the world's top cheese competitions, held every two years in Tours, France."

Emilia D'Albero trained intensively, practicing long hours, exacting drills and heavy lifting while learning to sculpt, slice and plate cheese. She tasted, smelled and handled hundreds of pounds of cheese, practiced carving wheels, and used flash cards to memorize cheese varieties and animal breeds. Her routine required added refrigeration and total immersion in milk and microbes. On Sept. 15, she won the Mondial du Fromage title "Meilleure Fromagère du Monde," becoming the first American champion. She and teammate Courtney Johnson formed the first all-female Team USA, with Johnson earning bronze and both Americans sharing the podium.

Read at The Washington Post