Edible Culture Fall 2011 Issue

New Era of Wisconsin Cheddar

By Jeanne Carpenter | Photo By Jim Klousia 0

If ever there were two words meant to go together, they would surely be “Wisconsin” and “cheddar.”

Made in blocks, barrels and wheels, and then cut, wrapped and stamped, millions of pounds of construction-orange Wisconsin cheddar are sold every year to American consumers. Most get shipped to customers on the coasts, but thousands of pounds are bought by locals at roadside cheese shops and cheese factories, with many a family still putting the requisite plate of sliced cheddar cheese on the table at dinnertime.

Cheddar cheese may very well be responsible for putting Wisconsin on the map as America’s Dairyland. While cheddar was just about the only cheese produced in the entire United States prior to 1850, by 1880, Wisconsin had taken the lead in producing more cheddar than any state in the nation. Today, Wisconsin cheesemakers continue to lead cheddar production, with more than half of the state’s 129 cheese plants pumping out cheddar in some way, shape or form.

There is no doubt cheddar will continue to be Wisconsin’s ticket to fame; however, the production of commodity cheddar cheese— typically made in giant, 640-pound blocks—is dramatically changing. While overall cheese production in Wisconsin increased during the past 10 years, the amount of cheddar decreased. For example, in 2000, Wisconsin made 2.2 billion pounds of cheese and 33 percent was cheddar. In 2010, Wisconsin made 2.6 billion pounds of cheese and only 24 percent was cheddar.

What’s filling the cheddar gap? Specialty cheeses. Wisconsin’s production of specialty cheeses doubled in the past decade, increasing from 221 million pounds in 2000 to 552 million pounds in 2010. With more consumers demanding bigger and bolder flavors, cheddar makers have had to adapt.