A new study by market research agency Mintel says that nine out of ten countries that produce and consume the most cheese are in Europe. There may be few things people agree on in life, but if there's one thing there's mass agreement on, it's definitely the desire for good cheese.
In any dish, cheese as an ingredient adds more flavor. You can add it to the recipe of pastries, sandwiches, or potatoes, cheese is a product that best complements your cooking recipes.
But it seems that some countries love cheese more than others for many reasons. How are European countries ranked in their "love" for cheese, from what they consume, import and export? Find out who holds the first place crown!
Eighth-10th place/ Scandinavia imports the most cheddar cheese
Sweden, Finland and Denmark are not mass producers of cheese, but they love to consume it. The Nordic countries are not necessarily the first thing you would think of when it comes to cheese, but they are very dedicated to this product. Finland came 10th on Mintel's list, Denmark ninth and Sweden eighth, despite producing over 25 varieties of cheese.
Seventh place/ Switzerland and the range of different cheeses
Fondue and Emmental are two of the globally recognized Swiss cheeses. But this country imports even more cheese. Despite producing 32 different types of cheese, Switzerland ranks third in the world for per capita spending on cheese, after the Netherlands and Belgium.
Sixth place/ Great Britain and Cheddar cheese
It is no exaggeration to say that people in the UK have cheese on the brain. Famous for varieties such as Cheddar and Stilton, Mintel found that 70% of British consumers say they buy cheddar cheese, while 36% buy regional British cheeses.
Fifth place/ Austria and traditional cheese
Austria does not discriminate when it comes to cheese, because they consume local cheese, but also foreign cheese. With raw cow's milk from the Alps, in addition to domestic cheese, Austria also spends 64 million dollars on imported cheese.
Fourth place/ USA and the love for Kraft American cheese
Sliced ??or shredded, there are over 523 types of cheese in the US. But the love for the traditional Kraft Single variety goes beyond expectations making this the most consumed cheese.
Third place/ Belgium
What tastes better than a Belgian beer and some cubes of cheese? The country with less than 12 million inhabitants came third in Europe for cheese consumption, while importing almost 1.6 kilograms of cheese per person every year.
Second place/ France and Camembert cheese
France produces over 246 different types of cheese, but what's the secret that ranks it second on this list? This country is the largest importer in Europe of foreign rights and this is the answer.
First place/ The Dutch hold the cheese crown
The Netherlands is the country that holds the winner's crown, as it is the home of the famous gouda and edam cheeses. The tiny country of just 17 million people imports a staggering $14 (€13) worth of cheese, nearly 3.1 kilograms per person each year, making them the biggest cheese buyers in Europe.
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Source: Euronews
