A Member of the jury analyzes and tastes cheeses from different countries, during the 37th World Cheese Awards, at the Festhalle in Bern, Switzerland on Thursday.

The first thing that hits you at the World Cheese Awards is the smell.

As the 37th edition – part competition, part a celebration of cheese – kicked off in Switzerland on Thursday, some visitors might wish the offerings had more holes. With descriptions of odours including “stinky socks” and “sick dog,” it’s clearly a festival – and a challenge – for the nose as much as mouths, fingers and eyes.

Welcome to sensory overload.

Connoisseurs, culinary experts and curious consumers flocked to the three-day event in a country where cheese is both food and folklore. The first day got going with the competition, which featured over 5,

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