International Democratic Union Cheese Festival

The International Democratic Union Cheese Festival is an international event designed to promote cheese exports. A wide variety of cheeses and dishes featuring cheese made in different International Democratic Union (IDU) member nations and other nations with strong ties to the IDU are submitted by private cheese makers. Awards are given based on the following categories:

• Best IDU Cheese
• Best Imported Cheese to the IDU
• Best Cheese Related Product

The festival is held annually during the second full moon at the city who’s cheese won the Best IDU Cheese at the previous year’s festival.

Festival Rules

1. Nations may submit as many cheeses and cheese related products as they like.

2. Only cheeses that are produced in nations that are members of the IDU may submit entries into the Best IDU Cheese category.

3. Cheese from nations that are not officially members of the IDU, but whom import cheese to any IDU member, must be submitted to the Best Imported Cheese to the IDU category.

4. Any product (dish or otherwise) from any nation may be submitted in the Best Cheese Related Product categories, though it is recommended that entries into the Best IDU Cheese and Best Imported Cheese categories list some of the popular food dishes that the cheeses are frequently made into. Cheese related products need not be edible, but can include tools used to prepare or cook cheese or even drinks that go well with certain cheeses.

5. No product may be submitted into more than one category; however, a specific cheese related product may be entered even if the cheese used to make it has been submitted under either of the Best Cheese categories.

6. Entries should describe the cheese, so that judges may come back to review what the tested.

7. Up to one judge will be appointed from each nation that submits any entries, and then the judges can vote for one Best IDU Cheese, Best Import Cheese to the IDU, and Best Cheese Related Product.

8. Winning cheeses and cheese related products may use the International Democratic Union Cheese Festival logo, called the Cheese Ribbon, on their products for as long as they like, but should display the years that their cheese won on the logo.

History

Many of the nations of the IDU have a well established cheese markets. Though it is common for countries to incorporate their own cheeses into many national dishes, growing economic cooperation between IDU members has increased the amount of cheese exported and imported in the IDU, thus increasing the popularity of cheese in many IDU nations. The International Democratic Union Cheese Festival was originally sponsored by a number of cheese growers associations in various nations with the goal of promoting cheese consumption.

The festival has been held in the following cities:

• Free Land of the IDU (2006)

Festival Results

Summary of Cheese Ribbon Winners

List of Entries

2006

Best IDU Cheese

• Kolatch Gouda / Kolatch Ost, Ceorana
• Aimitsy, Baranxtu
• Moksaitabunauha Ipantli, Otea
• Gouda / Real Gouda Cheese, Groot Gouda
• Brig Cheese, Mikitivity

Best Cheese Imported to the IDU

• Paràgel, Yelda
• The NewTexas Stinky Cheese Bomb, NewTexas

Best Cheese Related Product

• Thuvian Fondue, Mikitivity

References

• Best IDU Cheese 2006