Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
Wisconsin is well represented foodwise on the Web. Surprised? The website
Savor
Wisconsin
(
www.savorwisconsin.com
)
is a wonderful compendium, run by the state gov-
ernment, of information on local agricultural producers, food events, and more. Others of
My grandmother could have written the recipes at
www.bratwurstpages.com
.
CHEESE
Wisconsin produces more than a third of the nation's cheese (leading in cheddar, colby,
brick, muenster, limburger, and many Italian varieties). More than 500 varieties of cheese
come out of Wisconsin. And, yes, we really do eat a great deal of it. The loyal dairy con-
sumption shouldn't come as a surprise—laws prohibiting the use of margarine remained on
the topics until 1967.
The most common cheese in Wisconsin is the ever-versatile
cheddar.
For something
different, eat it with fruit (apples are best) or melt it on hot apple pie.
Colby
cheese was invented in the northern Wisconsin town of the same name. The
cheesehasaverymild,mellowflavorandafirm,opentexture.It'smostofteneatenbreaded
and deep fried, but try cubing it in fruit or vegetable salads. Firmer, with a smooth body,
colby jack
cheese is marbled white and yellow—a mixture of the mellow colby cheese
along with the distinctive broad taste of
monterey jack,
a semisoft, creamy white cheese.
Wisconsin effectively brought
swiss
cheese to prominence in the United States more
than a century ago. Swiss cheese fans should head immediately for the town of Monroe in
southwestern Wisconsin; there you'll find the greatest swiss you've ever tasted, as well as
a milder
baby swiss.
While there, slip into a tavern or sandwich shop and really experien-
ce Wisconsin culture by sampling a
limburger
sandwich—the pungent, oft-misunderstood
swiss on pumpernickel, with onions and radishes. Wisconsin may be the last place on earth
whereit'scouthtomunchlimburgerinpolitecompany;it
is
thelastplaceintheworldmak-
ing the cheese.
Another Wisconsin original is
brick cheese,
a semisoft cheese with a waxy, open tex-
ture.Creamywhite,youngbrickhasamildflavor;whenaged,itbecomessharp.It'sperfect
for grilled cheese sandwiches or with mustard on pumpernickel bread.
Two transplants the state produces to near perfection are
gouda
and
edam
cheeses, im-
ported by Western Europeans. They're semisoft to firm and creamy in texture, with small
holes and mild, slightly nutty flavor.
Finally, for the most authentic cheese-eating cultural experience, go to a bar and order
cheese curds,
commonlybreadedanddeepfried.Whenboughtatadairyorafarmersmar-
