If there was ever any doubt Wisconsin dominates the American dairy market, chew on this: Our state’s cheesemakers produce 26% of the country’s cheese.
Specifically, Wisconsin is responsible for:
🌎 67% of America’s Muenster
🌎 43% of America’s Brick
🌎 26% of America’s Cheddar
🌎 25% of America’s Mozzarella
Home to more than 126 cheese plants, Dairy State dairy farmers produce more than 350 different varieties of cheese–double any other state.
But, with so many choices, which do you choose?
That’s the question Food & Wine editors asked Wisconsin’s best chefs and shopkeepers, including Patrick DePula (Salvatore’s Tomato Pies), Ken Monteleone (Fromagination), Tim Mulcahy (Brennan’s Cellars), and Tory Miller (L’Etoile, Graze).
Here are their picks, how to use them, and where to buy online (alphabetical by dairy):
🧀 Bandaged Cheddar from Bleu Mont Dairy
Taste: A salty, nutty, & fruity hard cheese
Use: Plain or on a simple cracker to bring out its crunch
🧀 Basil Farmers from Decatur Dairy
Taste: Lower-fat cheese blended with fresh basil leaves
Use: Plain or in a grilled cheese or Caprese salad
🧀 Four-Year Cheddar from Hook’s
Taste: Slightly acidic, sharp, and buttery
Use: Paired with a Wisconsin IPA
🧀 Monroe from Roth Cheese
Taste: Semi-soft, creamy and fruity, with “the right amount of funk”
Use: With cranberry relish and onion crackers
🧀 Surchoix from Roth Cheese
Taste: A nutty, caramel hard cheese
Use: With fresh fruit
🧀 Pleasant Ridge Reserve from Uplands Cheese
Taste: Richy and salty, with a long, fruity finish
Use: Plain or in French, Spanish, and/or Asian-influenced dishes
🧀 Rush Creek Reserve from Uplands Cheese
Taste: Custardy, soft, with a mild lactic acidity
Use: On whole grain sourdough bread
🧀 Red Willow from Willow Creek Creamery
Taste: A soft, mild cheese similar to France’s Port Salut
Use: Paired with amber or brown beer
