Traditional cheese made in Georgia’s historical region of Tusheti has become the winner of the International Cheese Festival in Italy.

A Tushuri ‘guda’ cheese, made by young Georgian farmer Kakha Abuladze, 22, came in first place at the Festival.

Tushuri guda is a cheese produced from sheep’s milk that ripens in a “guda” (the Georgian word for a bag made from the skin of a sheep, goat, or calf)..

Since 2011, Slow Food has awarded shepherds and craftsmen who reject shortcuts and continue to produce cheese and other food products while preserving naturalness, traditions, and flavors.

Shepherds and chefs who produce cheese and other organic products according to traditions were awarded as well.

The other winners of the four-day festival were farmers from the United States, Italy, and the Cape Verde Republic.

The international cheese festival in Italy is held once every two years and gathers hundreds of farmers from all over the world.