The curtains have closed on the 2026 World Championship Cheese Contest, but the knowledge gleaned from the competition signals a new trend in global dairy consumption, headlined by the debut of labneh. Labneh is a Middle Eastern staple that is pleasing tastebuds worldwide.
Aileen Kacvinsky, one of the 56 expert judges and a veteran with over a decade of experience, describes labneh as a versatile hybrid that bridges the gap between two dairy favorites.
“It is a kind of a cross between sour cream and yogurt. It’s a sour cream type texture with yogurt cultures,” she tells Mid-West Farm Report.
The addition of the labneh category reflects a broader shift in the food industry toward international profiles. As consumers increasingly seek out “Greek-type” and Middle Eastern flavors, U.S. producers, including class winner Central Valley Cheese, Inc. out of Turlock, California, are entering the fray to compete on the world stage.
For a product to take home the gold, it must achieve a specific technical balance. Kacvinsky says that a high-quality entry “has to be smooth and creamy and the flavors actually just accentuate the dairy notes.”
With labneh now officially in the mix at the World Championship Cheese Contest, the event continues to prove that there’s always room for a new global spread.
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