From cheese hats to “cheese orphans” to gourmet gas station cheddar, here’s how to experience Wisconsin’s great cheese scene like a hungry local.
People call Wisconsinis cheese-obsessed, but we don’t really think of it that way. For us, simple access to literally the best cheeses in the country – and the world – is something we take for granted, and often take it for granted. But once you live here and then go somewhere else, it’s like a cheese detox. You miss it and realize how lucky you were to live in this dairy wonderland. The siren song of squeaky cheese curds might even be what draws you back home.
Want to experience cheese like a Wisconsinite? From award-winning cheese at our gas stations to hour-old cheese curds at our grocery store, here are just a few ways you can enjoy cheese like a true Wisconsinite:
1. Immerse yourself in the best.
At the 2018 gala United States Cheese Championships exhibition of cheeses produced in Green Bay, Wisconsin, won 168 of the 348 awards presented during the March competition, including placing as a total first and second runner-up. In addition, state cheeses took 26 out of 116 categories. Fifty-one Wisconsin cheesemakers won awards, and 12 companies won five or more awards.
In the years that World Cheese Championships is held (every two years since 1958), and the only winning American cheeses came from Wisconsin. Eleven world champions have been named in this state; lately, Grand Cru Surchoix Emmi Roth won the title in 2016.
Marieke Gouda Premium AND Marieke Gouda has grown up they were first and second runner-up, respectively, in the U.S. Cheese Championship in 2018. The Thorp cheesemaker also won Grand Champion in 2013 and second runner-up in 2017. Be thirsty, brothers in Waterloo, they won first and second place for fresh mozzarella, and second place went to white cheddar cheese. Carr Valley Cave Aged Marisa, Gran Canaria and Marisa won their class, with eight other cheeses taking second or third place.
2. Take a tour of a cheese factory.
Okay, we say “tour,” but honestly, a factory visit is all about tasting the freshest cheese you’ve ever laid your hands on. If you are going to Carr Valley in La Valle early in the morning you will have the best chance to see cheesemakers in action. This company has been producing cheese since 1902, producing over 50 different types of cheese. The most decorated cheese company in the U.S., Certified Master Cheesemaker of Carr Valley has won more top national and international awards than any other U.S. cheesemaker.
3. Make your own cheesecake.
We here in Wisconsin don’t take ourselves too seriously. When Chicagoans started calling us “cheesy,” they meant it in a derogatory way. Instead, we embraced it and made it our own. Giant foam cheese hats are something of an international symbol for Wisconsinites. The factory that produces them has a wide range of foamy cheese products. The now ubiquitous symbol of our country originated in the mid-1990s as a single hat carved from foam inside a couch cushion. Since then, the company has created a whole line of cheesy foam products, from koozies to Christmas tree decorations.
4. Take some cheese for the road.
Gaining the full Wisconsin cheese experience is hungry work. You’ll be driving all over the state and you’ll need snacks for the journey. Every full-size Wisconsin gas station near a highway will have at least a diminutive display of Wisconsin cheese. Some offer cheese and sausage snack packages. Others have fresh cheese curds. No matter what you find, you can bet that the cheese we Wisconsinites find at our gas stations is better than what most people see in their city’s top grocery stores.
An example? At almost every interstate exit there is a cheese factory or outlet on I-94, which runs from Madison to the Twin Cities. We recommend stopping at Madison’s before leaving town From imagination for local artisan cheese. Up the road is Tomah i Humbird Cheese Shop it’s right off the exit and is the perfect place to stop for a snack while traveling. They sell over 100 tons of Wisconsin cheese annually from over 25 producers. This is the perfect place to stop for a snack, although it will probably take longer to explore what’s on offer than a standard stop. The hardest part is choosing between 5-, 10- and 12-year-old cheddar cheese.
5. Take home a “cheese orphan.”
While they probably didn’t come up with the idea, the people of West Allis Cheese Shop they have a basket at the checkout that contains what they call “cheese orphans”. These are block or round tips that are packaged and sold in diminutive quantities – usually an ounce or two. Get to know the orphans and take the opportunity to try things you’ve never thought of before. This is a great way to try novel things or try something that is usually out of your cheese budget. The $7 Orphan of 10 Year Old Cheddar is my best orphan cheese find, but you can never really go wrong. Grab a box of crackers, summer sausage and orphans and you’ll have a truly spectacular meal ready for the football game on Saturday or Sunday.
6. Spend a day (or three) in cheese land.
In south-central Wisconsin, Green County – with the county seat of Monroe County – is the epicenter of Wisconsin cheese, although it’s not a stretch to think it may be the center of all U.S. cheese production. Sometimes called the “gateway to cheese country” or the “cheese capital of the USA,” this area was once home to hundreds of diminutive cheese factories. Although that number has now dwindled to a few dozen, there are still plenty of cheesemakers to visit and try, including the award-winning Emma Roth.
Monroe is also home to National Historic Cheesemaking Centerwhere you can learn about hundreds of years of cheese-making history in Wisconsin and tour a restored cheese factory, then head into town to BaumgartnerWisconsin’s oldest cheese shop, where they serve some of the most unique and delicious cheese sandwiches you could imagine, including a Limburger option with a hint of mint breath. Sera Chalet Cooperative in Monroe is the only cheesemaker in America producing Limburger, and has been for almost 50 years. Stinky cheese is the one that people either love or hate, but if you want it, they know how to make it.
Many Swiss immigrants to the Midwest settled in Green County, so Swiss cheese is a particular focus here. The novel Glarus is a true “Little Switzerland” right here in Wisconsin. Home page for Swiss Center of North America, this diminutive town has some of the best Swiss food and culture outside of Bern. Eat established fondue at the Glarner Stube and stock up on local cheeses at Edelweiss cheese shop. While not cheese-related, it’s also worth a stop at New Glarus Brewery, an award-winning craft beer venue that distributes exclusively in the state.
7. Meet the brave women of Wisconsin cheese.
Wisconsin is the only state that requires cheesemakers to be licensed. It is also the only state with a master cheesemaker program. Of the 1,200 licensed cheesemakers in Wisconsin, fewer than 60 are women. But women producers are undeniably impressive. Julie Hook at Ser Haka at Mineral Point, she is still the only woman to ever win the World Cheese Championship. Marieke Penterman is behind the scenes Marieke Gouda the cheese in question, which won second and third place in the country at the recent U.S. Cheese Championships. Katie Fuhrmann z LaClare Farms produces artisan goat milk cheeses, and its Evalon won Best in Show at the 2011 United States Cheese Championships.
8. Make your cheese squeak.
During cheese production, milk is pasteurized until the whey and curd are separated. The whey is then removed and the curds are pressed to remove even more moisture and ultimately create the wheel or block of cheese you are accustomed to. But the cottage cheese itself is also edible. They are generally roughly peanut-shaped and slightly more springy than most cheeses. The moisture and unembossed texture make your teeth squeak when you bite them.
Cheese curds are best consumed within a few hours of production. Unfortunately, unlike most cheeses, they deteriorate as they age, so they are often only found in places that have cheese-making facilities. So it makes sense that cottage cheese is quite specific to Wisconsin. Of course, everyone here has their favorite cottage cheese, but it usually has to do with the proximity – and therefore – freshness – of cottage cheese.
Cottage cheese at Ellsworth Cooperative Creamery they are so good that they organized their own festival. Their special packaging keeps the cottage cheese fresher longer than most other products, but the best way to get it is to head straight to the factory in Ellsworth in the west-central part of the state. In the only urban cheese factory in Wisconsin, Clock Shadow Creamery, start making cottage cheese just before sunrise and have them on store shelves before most of us even wake up. This schedule ensures the freshest, most flavorful and crunchiest curd.
Erin Helzer
9. Ignore the rules.
When cheese is as delicious, plentiful, and affordable as it is here in Wisconsin, you don’t stick to any recipe “guidelines” that suggest ½ cup of cheese for your entire meal. Instead, when in Wisconsin, take the opportunity to cook with cheese and then go crazy. And because this grocery store brand of cheese is as carefully crafted as any of the good stuff here and costs less than $2 each, we don’t feel confined or judged by these recipes. Add some edged cheddar. Empty the mozzarella bag. Throw in some Monterey Jack.
Just as many of us ignore the modest suggestion of one clove of garlic in favor of eight, the amounts of cheese in recipes are merely suggestions for Wisconsinites. We’re the ones who put cheddar cheese (often shaped like the state of Wisconsin) on a slice of apple pie. Need a little more convincing? A 2018 study linked cheese consumption to longer life, so there’s no reason not to eat cheese like a Wisconsinite, wherever you are.
Hungry for more? To find out more, visit our sister site Farm Flavor Wisconsin cheese on the international stage.
Want more frosty place content delivered straight to your inbox? Subscribe to Livability weekly newsletter!
