Plus, the gold medalist cheesemonger admits to loving Cheetos like the rest of us.
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Cheesemonger Olympics gold medalist Emilia D’Albero / Photograph by Stevie Chris
South Philly’s own Emilia D’Albero recently became the first American ever to win a gold medal at the Cheesemonger Olympics in France. Here, she talks Cooper Sharp, living in Point Breeze, and the one huge mistake you’re making with your pecorino.
I was named after … my great-grandmother, who came over on the boat from Italy when she was a teenager.
My job is … spreading knowledge and passion for cheese. I handle sales and marketing for a company that sells cheese packaging and storage and tools.
One cheese I do not like is … industrial-produced Brie that has the rind sprayed on and tastes how I imagine diaper to taste.
The stinkiest cheese you can eat is … Foxglove from Tulip Tree Creamery.
When I want to relax … I watch any hospital TV show. I love watching stressful situations on TV. Watching stressful situations somehow makes me feel less stressed.
My partner, Tommy, is … also a champion cheesemonger, and he is the category manager of cheese and charcuterie for DiBruno’s.
When I was a kid, I wanted to grow up to be … a marine biologist, but it turned out that science wasn’t my strong suit.
I became a cheesemonger by … accident. I was working for Eataly corporate in New York and wanted to become a butcher, and they told me to start on the cheese counter and learn some knife skills. Then I fell in love with cheese, and that was eight years ago.
When I am not thinking about cheese, I am … playing with our dog, Bruna Alpina, named after a brown Swiss dairy cow breed.
A cheesemonger is … someone who specializes in the sale of cheese, butter and other dairy products. But we also tell the stories of the cheese and represent the producers and connect customers with their favorite cheeses. We are stewards and educators.
If you ask me to play Fuck, Marry, Kill with Cooper Sharp, Cheez Whiz, and provolone, I would … kill Cheez Whiz, obviously. I’d marry provolone. And I would absolutely fuck Cooper Sharp. I’m such a Cooper Sharp girl. It’s the only cheese I always have in my fridge.
The most expensive cheese I have encountered is … a Smeraldo white truffle pecorino for around $100 per pound.
People like cheese so much because … there is a cheese for every palate, and also, cheese is a taste of the moment in history when it was made and the place where it was made. Every cheese tells a different story.
If you want me to talk about something other than cheese, you should probably ask me about … sharks or 2000–2010 emo music.
Emilia D’Albero wins the gold medal earlier this year (photo by Alexandre Alloul)
One cheese you should consider for a holiday gift is … Gruyère Alpage, a raw cow’s milk cheese made at a super high elevation in Switzerland. The cows eat such a lush mix of grasses, flowers, and herbs. It comes from a tradition that has lasted hundreds and hundreds of years. And it’s very labor intensive keeping this tradition alive.
The best cheese for a grilled cheese is … Comté, a younger profile but still with that oniony, savory note, and it melts well.
I celebrated my big win by … traveling through France and Italy with my partner, my best friend, and my boss – and eating more cheese.
If you want to try making cheese at home, I would start with … not doing it. Leave the cheese to the professionals. Seriously.
One mistake most people make with cheese is … wrapping it in plastic wrap. That suffocates your cheese and makes it mold faster. Also, buying too much cheese all at once. The key is buying less cheese more often.
The most beautiful space in Philadelphia is … Suraya. Whenever someone visits me, I take them there. And their brunch is unreal.
Living in Point Breeze is … better than I ever dreamed it could be. My quality of life is one I never thought I would have.
On New Year’s Eve, you will find me … dipping nontraditional things into a very high-quality fondue.
The second-best food to cheese is … steak.
A local cheesemaker you should visit is … Birchrun Hills Farm and Perrystead Dairy.
I probably shouldn’t tell you this, but … I love eating puffy Cheetos. As a cheese professional, that feels sinful.
Published as “One of Us: Emilia D’Albero” in the December 2025/January 2026 issue of Philadelphia magazine.