SCOTT DETROW, HOST:
Emilia D'Albero zeroed in on cheese from an early age.
EMILIA D'ALBERO: I was always an avid cheese lover as a child. We always had a block of Jarlsberg in the house. I had strong preferences on which cheeses and meats my mom should get at the Stop & Shop deli counter.
DETROW: Her lifelong love of cheese has now led her to international glory. The Philadelphia-based cheesemonger recently won the Mondial du Fromage, where 18 competitors faced off in the world's cheese Olympics. The competition takes place every two years in Tours, France, and includes a cheese sculpture contest, a challenge to create flavor pairings with a specific cheese and a blind tasting of mystery cheeses. After hours of sniffing, slicing and tasting, D'Albero made history, becoming the first ever competitor from the U.S. to take the prize. Emilia, congratulations. Welcome to ALL THINGS CONSIDERED.
D'ALBERO: Thank you so much, Scott.
DETROW: How did you feel about this going into the competition? What were your expectations? What were your concerns or worries?
D'ALBERO: (Laughter) I was definitely very nervous but relying on a lot of intense preparation and organization to kind of carry me through. My goal showing up was to just do my best and make some friends, and whatever the outcome of that was I certainly would be happy with - just an honor to be on the world stage representing the United States.
DETROW: What was your most standout event? Which one did you come away like, this went exactly as I hoped it would?
D'ALBERO: Oh, definitely group 3, challenge 4, and that was a large-scale cheese display centered around the theme shades of color. That was the one that I had the most trouble with in preparation.
DETROW: Yeah.
D'ALBERO: Really trying to come up with something that was intricate and beautiful and really stuck to the theme but also celebrated cheese - so that one gave me the most trouble. I definitely practiced that the most out of all of the challenges. And I was really thrilled at the end because between the cheeses that they gave me and my organization and my time management, I was able to have enough time to put something together that I was really proud of, and that the judges seemed to really like as well.
DETROW: So this win has earned you the distinction of being the world's best cheesemonger. And I think there might be people listening who might be thinking to themselves, I don't exactly know what a cheesemonger is. Can you help them out?
D'ALBERO: (Laughter) Yes, absolutely. I've been getting that question a lot. So the textbook definition of a cheesemonger is someone who specializes in the sale of cheese, butter and other dairy products. So the cheesemonger sells the cheese. We don't make the cheese, which is an important distinction. We are to cheese like what a sommelier is to wine or a butcher is to meat.
So it's more than just cutting the cheese. We're responsible for storing and merchandising and selling the cheese. We essentially tell the stories of the cheeses and the makers in the - in an attempt to create emotional connections between the customers and the products. So our job is to help you navigate the cheese case, which can be overwhelming, and help you find exactly what you need. So a lot of precise knowledge and skill that goes into being a cheesemonger.
DETROW: I like cheese, but sometimes I'm definitely paralyzed looking at the cheese case.
D'ALBERO: Absolutely. It can be very overwhelming. And it's our job to kind of, like, bridge the gap between the farm and the customer.
DETROW: Yeah.
D'ALBERO: We're trying to demystify the cheese case a little bit and help you become more comfortable with the selections. And we love, like, giving tastes of different cheeses. We want you to walk out of the shop with exactly what you want and something that you really love.
DETROW: I mentioned this when I introduced to you, but you're the first American to win this competition. Your teammate...
D'ALBERO: I am.
DETROW: ...Courtney Johnson placed third. The two of you, I believe, were the first all-women USA team in this competition. And I'm wondering what those distinctions mean to you. Like, how big of a deal is it to you that an American won this competition?
D'ALBERO: It's a really big deal. Americans have traditionally been the underdogs in the international cheese community. We are obviously a relatively young country compared to others. And we do have a lot of really incredible cheesemakers, but our cheese culture - pun intended - is just not quite as developed as, let's say, like, France or Italy. So there's also this assumption that Americans don't know about good cheese or good food in general. So it was really an honor to prove on the world stage that American cheesemongers are talented, and we're skilled and creative.
And it was also an honor to stand up on that podium with Courtney. We spent hours every day preparing together. We were a team in the truest sense. We held each other accountable. We shared study resources. We gave each other feedback. Courtney's become one of my best friends over the last few years, and it was just so much fun to share this experience with her. But something I would like to make clear is that this is not an experience that is given. It's an experience that's earned. So you have to actually win two separate competitions before you can even go to France and compete in the Mondial du Fromage. So it's really been, like, a multiyear journey for us both.
DETROW: That is Emilia D'Albero, cheesemonger world champion. Thank you so much.
D'ALBERO: You are very welcome. Thank you for having me. Transcript provided by NPR, Copyright NPR.
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