Would your ego be bruised if a friend said she liked a block of cheese more than you? Personally, I couldn’t blame her, but the truth might still sting a little.
Dishing out the harsh truth in this case is the Public Polling Policy, which surveyed 1,071 Wisconsin residents on their favorability of certain cultural icons and objects, one of them being Green Bay Packers quarterback, Aaron Rodgers. Seventy-nine percent of voters had a favorable opinion of the high-performing NFL star, but no matter the 4,381 yards he produced last season, classic Wisconsin cheese is still held in higher esteem with 80 percent favorability.
Rodgers can’t be that upset. Wisconsin is, after all, the fourth largest producer of cheese in the world and cranks out almost three million pounds of cheese every year. All of this buzz might make you curious about just how good the cheese really is. If you want to conduct your own research, try out some these Wisconsin produced cheeses:
Hooks 10yr Cheddar
Eating Hook’s aged cheddar is probably the best way to be formally introduced to Wisconsin cheese. Hook’s Cheese is owned by Tony and Julie Hook, who are committed to maturing cheese to its peak. The Hook’s 10-year-aged cheddar has won numerous awards, and for good reason. This cheese is rich in flavor, tangy, and has a smooth finish. Since the cheese has been aged for so long, small crystals can be found throughout. Trust me, this is the cheddar of all cheddars.
Wisconsin Colby Cheese
Colby cheese was originally made outside of Colby, Wisconsin. One of our culture interns, Virginia Hyde, wrote about this regional cheese as part of her blog series:
Colby is a semi-soft cow’s milk cheese that most say tastes like a combination of cheddar and swiss. Colby is softer, and has higher moisture content than cheddar. Young Colby is preferred to aged because the aged becomes cracked and dry, rendering it inedible. Colby is often blended with Monterey Jack, another American cheese, to create Colby Jack, which is a good melting cheese.
So you see, Colby is basically a blend of other delicious cheeses that unite to make one masterfully crafted cheese. If this was being produced in my home state, I would probably have an extraordinarily high esteem for cheese too. (As if don’t already…)
Balsamic BellaVitano Wisconsin Cheese
If you want to surprise your palate and try something new, spring for this Wisconsin-based Sartori’s BellaVitano. They make innumerable different flavors of this American original, one of them being Balsamic BellaVitano. This cheese is drenched in balsamic vinegar and aged until those sweet, tangy tones really shine.
Apple Smoked Cheddar by Carr Valley Cheese Company
Carr Valley Cheese Company is owned by a fourth-generation cheesemaker, so you know their Apple Smoked Cheddar is bound to be delicious. The cheese is a traditional cheddar that is smoked over applewood and then rubbed over with paprika. The end result is a sweet, smoky, spicy cheese.
Which cheese do you think is the equivalent of a touchdown?
Feature Photo Credit: “Aaron Rodgers; August 21, 2010” by Mat Hayward | Shutterstock.com
Jacqueline Roman
Jacqueline Roman is an Emerson student in Boston who never misses an opportunity to make a cheese pun and utilizes her social media accounts to post pictures of her pride and joy: cheeseboards. She has other interests but does not brie-lieve they are as gouda.
