Wisconsin

Known as America’s Dairyland for quite a while, the state of Wisconsin produces some of the best cheese in the world.  Some basic cheeses got their start in the state:

“The first all-American cheese was Brick, set apart from European cheeses as much by name as by the process by which it was made.  In 1877, John Jossi, a Wisconsin cheesemaker of Swiss extraction, discovered that if he squeezed fresh curd between two bricks, the result was a brick-shaped cheese similar to the popular German Limburger, but firmer and more rubbery.  His cheese was ideal for cutting, and had a mild aroma and taste.  Today, Brick is vacuum-packed in slices, strings or blocks and is sold right across the USA.”

“Next (in 1882) came Colby, named after a town in Wisconsin.  Similar to Cheddar, but softer and more elastic, it also matured more quickly and could be eaten within weeks rather than months. Soft and bland, Colby was soon accepted as an all-purpose, family cheese.  It remains a favourite.”

– The World Encyclopedia of Cheese, Hermes House, 2010