Cheese 'Langres' from Cheese Land Wins Champion Title at Cheese Open 2026 in Aktau
The International Dairy Forum and Cheese Open competition took place from September 21 to 23. The event attracted cheesemakers, farmers, technologists, industry experts, and representatives of the dairy industry from 20 countries.
Over 400 samples of cheese and other dairy products were registered for the competition. They were evaluated by 60 specialists from an international jury. The tasting was conducted blindly: the experts had no information about the producers of the presented products.
The title 'Best Cheese of Kazakhstan 2026' was awarded to the white bryndza from the YurTa creamery in the Zhetysu region.
The winners in the category 'Best Industrial Cheese' were two enterprises: Babushkina Krynka from Belarus and Vostok-Moloko from Ust-Kamenogorsk.
A separate category in the competition was 'National Specialty'. It featured 33 products from the Mangistau region, including kurt, shubat, balkaymak, and yrymsik. Winners in this category received the opportunity to present their products at the Mondial du Fromage 2027 International Cheese and Dairy Products Championship in France.
The Cheese Open also hosted the inaugural Cheese Open Masters competition for cheesemongers, where participants demonstrated their knowledge of cheese culture and practical skills in cheese handling. The contest's best cheesemonger was Irina Landyreva from Russia. Kazakhstan was represented by Ruslan Sokolov from the Akmola region.
The forum's business and educational program included discussions on cheesemaking technologies, the development of regional production, and the promotion of national dairy products. A separate segment was dedicated to camel breeding and camel milk processing, which is a promising direction for the Mangistau region.
The initiators of the Cheese Open were members of the International Cheese Guild, farmer-producers from the Mangistau region Alexandra Grigolova and Nikita Kobzev. The event was supported by the Akimat of Mangistau region and the Atameken Chamber of Entrepreneurs.
The Cheese Open forum and competition are held biennially and serve as a preliminary platform for producers' participation in the international cheese championship in France.
