1st Regional Cheesemaking Competition of the Ubaté Valley

The event will take place on October 28th at the Antonio Nariño Cultural Center in Ubaté from 2:00 to 6:00 pm. Individuals, processing companies, or any public or private entity, such as cooperatives, interested in participating may register in any of the categories they wish and may only submit one entry per category. Participants must complete the registration form and send it to the following email address: [email protected] From October 11th to 22nd, or at the cultural center's secretary's office. Only residents of the region are accepted,” commented José Fernando Pérez, social interaction leader of the Animal Science Program.

Those interested who are not manufacturers and are submitting cheeses to the competition must fulfill an additional requirement. “It is important that they obtain authorization from the legal representative of the producing company, which must be attached to the registration form,” he states.

The event will consist of three categories: fresh cheese, semi-aged or aged cheese, and innovative cheeses made with cow's, goat's, or sheep's milk. "In this first edition, we will have judges/tasters who are professionals in the cheesemaking field, chefs, and teachers, with experience that will allow for a better evaluation of the most representative product, one that aligns with current tastes in the industry and gastronomy.".

What requirements must people meet? that they present their cheeses?

Those interested must strictly comply with the following:

• Whole pieces
• They must be properly packaged so that they are protected from environmental contamination, cross-contamination, and maintain their organoleptic characteristics.
• Cheeses that show obvious bacterial contamination (swollen) and mold will not be accepted or will be disqualified.

The organizing committee, through the registration form, will categorize the cheeses by type and inform all members of the jury of the different types presented, as well as their main characteristics, so that there are the same evaluation criteria.

Each cheese submitted to the competition must be included in one of the following categories

Finally, it's important to clarify that the organizers reserve the right to change a cheese's classification if they deem it necessary, and even to disqualify it if it doesn't comply with the competition rules. In any case, the producer will be informed.

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