MARION, WI (WTAQ) – To kick off June Dairy Month, today is National Cheese Day.
It all starts with the cows.
According to TravelWisconsin.org, there are over 1,000,000 cows in the state of Wisconsin which is one cow for every five Wisconsin residents, and 90 percent of Wisconsin milk is made into cheese.
According to Trevor Laack, Cheesemaker at Dupont Cheese in Marion, flavors have evolved over the years.
“There are a lot more flavors than there used to be,” he said. “You have Colby which is your base and then you put flavor into it and it just seemed to really take off.”
Temperature and aging affect the flavor and texture of the cheese as well as spices and other seasonings added during the process.
Laack says Dupont Cheese is known for their fresh Colby, but he has a favorite way to enjoy cheese.
“Cheese curds, right? We are from Wisconsin and you have to have cheese curds.”
According to TravelWisconsin.org, cheese curds are the freshest form of cheddar.
Wisconsin produces 600 varieties of cheese, but they are not alone. Every nation in the world has its own variety of cheese.
“We have better cows than everybody else, good farms, better milk,” Laack said. “You have to have good milk to make good cheese.”
Studies show that in the United States, Mac and Cheese is one of the ways that people enjoy cheese the most. Cheese can also be used for carving art and many state festivals center around cheese.
This year, Green Bay was host to the United States Cheese Contest in March.
