An American has taken home a gold medal at the Mondial du Fromage — or “Cheesemonger Olympics” for the first time since the competition was launched in 2013, writes Marcella Baietto for CBS News Philadelphia.
During this year’s competition in France, Philadelphia cheesemonger Emilia D’Albero earned first place.
Along with teammate Courtney Johnson of Seattle, she is one-half of the first all-female team to represent the United States in the competition.
“They had never sent two girls before,” D’Albero said.
The Mondial du Fromage is where some of the top cheesemongers in the world come together and compete head-to-head in various challenges.
D’Albero started her career in cheese 8 years ago, but her career really started to take off after launching her TikTok account, called Punk Rock Parmigiano.
During her time working in the industry, she has found that the perception of being a cheesemonger is quite different in the U.S., compared to Europe.
“In other parts of the world, like Europe, being a cheesemonger is seen as a really respected career,” D’Albero said. “In America it’s not as respected as it should be. It’s definitely skilled labor. We have to have an encyclopedic knowledge of the cheeses in the case.”
Read more about Emilia D’Albero and how her new honor is motivating her to share more about her work at CBS News Philadelphia.
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Editor’s Note: This post was originally published on PHILADELPHIA Today in October 2025.
