Emilia D’Albero of Philadelphia made history. She became the first American to win a gold medal at the Cheesemonger Olympics in France this year. The South Philadelphia resident now works in sales and marketing for a company that sells packaging and storage tools for dairy products.
D’Albero began her career eight years ago at Eataly Corporate in New York. She wanted to become a butcher. They told her to start on the cheese counter to learn knife skills. She fell in love and never looked back.
“We are stewards and educators,” D’Albero said, according to Philadelphia Magazine. “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.”
D’Albero celebrated her win by traveling through France and Italy with her partner, her best friend, and her boss. She was named after her great-grandmother, who immigrated to the U.S. as a teenager.
She points to Gruyère Alpage as a holiday gift option. The raw cow’s milk cheese is made at a high elevation in Switzerland, where cows eat a mix of grasses, flowers, and herbs. She suggests Comté for grilled cheese because it melts well and has an oniony note.
D’Albero keeps Cooper Sharp in her fridge at all times. She warns against common mistakes people make with dairy products. Wrapping cheese in plastic wrap suffocates it and makes it mold faster. Buying too much at once also creates problems.
D’Albero points to two local producers: Birchrun Hills Farm and Perrystead Dairy. She plans to spend New Year’s Eve dipping nontraditional things into a high-quality fondue.