The cheese judge training will start this year as well

(Photo: NAK)

The Hungarian Cheese Makers’ Association, the Tej Product Council and the National Chamber of Agriculture have a common goal of developing Hungarian cheese culture, of which, in addition to supporting cheese makers, the training of cheese judges is an important element. In recent years, more and more regional and national cheese competitions have been organized in Hungary, the judging part of which was organized and prepared by the Association of Hungarian Cheese Makers. In order to preserve the outstanding professional level of the events, it is essential to increase the number of judges. To this end, the Hungarian Cheese Makers Association – with the support of the National Chamber of Agriculture and the Milk Product Council – is announcing the cheese judge training for the third time this year.

The training is primarily recommended for those who are experienced in the world of cheese, or who wish to learn about it, and who wish to judge at cheese competitions

Any Hungarian citizen over the age of 18 who is not a cheese maker, owner or manager of a small cheese-making factory can apply for the training. The beginning of the training is preceded by an admission, where the specialists also assess the individual sensory abilities. The next entrance exam will take place on May 10, 2024. The location of the training is the Dunaharaszti Training Center of the National Chamber of Agrarian Economy. All admitted students have the opportunity to enter into a study contract with the Hungarian Cheese Makers Association, which obliges the student to attend all lectures, pass the final exam and participate as a cheese judge at least 2 times a year in cheese competitions organized by the association for 3 years. Discounted tuition fees are available for students studying full-time at the higher education institution. Graduates receive a certificate for successfully passing the exam and are included as cheese judges to the registration system of the Association of Hungarian Cheese Makers.

The association also consciously develops the professional community of cheese judges. They support the participation of cheese judges in international cheese competitions, they organize monthly thematic cheese judge training, and in addition, they are constantly refining the electronic judging system and the judging criteria system. The relevance of the training is also strengthened by the fact that this year the central theme of the European Congress will be the taste of cheese: what does the taste of cheese mean, how do we talk about it, and how do we judge the flavors. The title of the conference organized in Norway is #TasteTheCheese.

NAK