For the very first time, an American has won gold at the so-called “Cheesemonger Olympics” in France and she’s from Philadelphia. Emilia D’Albero, along with her teammate Courtney Johnson from Seattle, made history as the first all-female Team USA to compete, and they came out on top.
The competition wasn’t easy with nine different challenges ranging from blind tastings to sculpting to creating an elaborate cheese display but Emilia says she tackled it all with just two knives and a wire cutter, skills sharpened at the Philly Cheese School in South Philadelphia.
Her journey started just eight years ago and really took off when she began sharing her love of dairy on TikTok under the name Punk Rock Parmigiano. Now, with a heavy gold medal around her neck, she says it’s not just about the win, it's about showing that cheesemongers in America deserve the same respect they get in Europe.
As she puts it, it’s skilled labor and encyclopedic knowledge, and she hopes her victory opens doors for others. Or, as she cheerfully summed it up: “We’re breaking these boundaries. We’re going to do this and you can too.”