Wisconsin cheese is cheese made in the U.S. state of Wisconsin. Wisconsin has a long tradition and history of cheese production and it is widely associated in popular culture with cheese and the dairy industry.
History
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Wisconsin's cheesemaking tradition dates back to the 19th century. European immigrants who settled in Wisconsin were drawn to its fertile fields.
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Soon, dairy farms sprang up around Wisconsin, and farmers began producing cheese to preserve excess milk. In 1841, Anne Pickett established Wisconsin's first commercial cheese factory, using milk from neighbors' cows. A century later, Wisconsin was home to more than 1,500 cheese factories, which produced more than 500 million pounds of cheese per year.[1]
Wisconsin has long been identified with cheese; in the words of a 2006 New York Times article, "Cheese is the state’s history, its pride, its self-deprecating, sometimes goofy, cheesehead approach to life." Wisconsin has claimed the title of the largest cheese-producing state in the United States since 1910. In 2006, Wisconsin produced 2.4 billion pounds of cheese and held onto its top ranking, despite concerns that California's faster-growing cheese industry would soon surpass Wisconsin's production.[2] In 2007, Wisconsin again held onto its lead, which had begun to grow slightly.[3] In 2010, Wisconsin's cheese production rose to 2.6 billion pounds (requiring the state cheese industry to import a substantial amount of milk from other states to meet production needs).[4] In 2014, Wisconsin produced 2.9 billion pounds of cheese, accounting for 25.4% of all cheese produced in the U.S.[5][6]
As of 2013, Wisconsin continues to be the largest cheese producer in the United States, making over 600 different cheese varieties.[7] Wisconsin is the only U.S. state that requires that a licensed cheesemaker supervise the making of commercial cheese.[7] It is also the only state to offer a master cheesemaker program, which is patterned on the rigorous standards of similar programs in Europe.[8]
Some cheese makers even make cheeses shaped like the map of Wisconsin, to represent the strong cultural heritage of Wisconsin cheese.[9]
See also
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References
edit- ^ "History of Cheese in Wisconsin". Wisconsin Milk Marketing Board. Retrieved 2014-08-02.
- ^ Monica Davey, "Wisconsin’s Crown of Cheese Is Within California’s Reach", The New York Times, September 30, 2006.
- ^ Karen Herzog, State keeps cheese crown: On taste, and volume, Wisconsin beats arch-rival California". Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, July 29, 2008.
- ^ Anne Marie Ames, Wisconsin Facing a Dairy Deficit", Janesville Gazette, April 25, 2011.
- ^ "2015 Dairy Data: A Review of Wisconsin's Dairy Industry" (PDF). Wisconsin Milk Marketing Board. 2015. Retrieved September 16, 2015.
- ^ "Wisconsin Ag News – Annual Dairy Products" (PDF). USDA National Agricultural Statistics Service. April 29, 2015. Retrieved September 16, 2015.
- ^ a b "Wisconsin Dairy data" (PDF). Wisconsin Milk Marketing Board. Retrieved 2014-08-02.
- ^ "Masters program". Wisconsin Milk Marketing Board. Retrieved 2014-08-02.
- ^ "Shape of Wisconsin mild Cheddar". Wallenfangs of Green Lake. Retrieved 2023-10-23.
Further reading
edit- Apps, Jerold W. Cheese: The Making of a Wisconsin Tradition. Amherst, Wis.: Amherst Press, 1998.
- Emery, J. Q. "The Swiss Cheese Industry in Wisconsin", Wisconsin Magazine of History, vol. 10, no, 1 (September 1926): 42–52.
- Norton, James R. and Becca Dilley. The Master Cheesemakers of Wisconsin. Madison, Wis.: University of Wisconsin Press, 2009.
