I grew up in southern Oregon, close enough to Tillamook Creamery (back when it was still Tillamook Cheese Factory) to know about the wonders of cheese curds but far enough away that they were still a rare treat. Fun fact: when I was around 8 years old, I was at the grocery store with my mom and saw that they were selling cheese curds. I got so excited, I pointed and yelled, "Look Mom! CHEESE TURDS!!!" And that's how I learned they were curds, not turds.
Cheese turds 😆😆 To some people, that sums it up for them. Our problem in Wisconsin was that we lived too close to the curd factories. We could just get the fresh curds whenever we wanted! 🧀😬
It is a problem now that we don’t have immediate access to them. We are cheese curd snobs with a terrible craving. Like needing wine but only from France.
I have never, to my knowledge, eaten cheese curds. Now I know my next life goal. Side note: I was shocked to find you ate neither a cheese scientist nor Mr. JP Morgan Chase Stanley Dean Whitter. Everything I thought I knew about you has been A LIE!!!
I could live on these things, if they weren’t trying to kill me at the same time. Also, I may not be a cheese scientist, but I am cheesy pseudo-scientist 🧀 😆
I was never a big cheese curd fan… maybe it was because we called it “squeaky cheese” (although, I like Robin’s term—“cheese turds”). However, I LOVE cheese. Every time we went to visit the family farm near Boyceville, we’d get a block of Brick cheese (know to us a “Grandma’s Cheese,” appropriately named because she always had some on hand). It’s a medium-soft pale yellow-white cheese with tiny holes. The cheese factory we bought from finally closed. My dad recently found another factory that makes a very similar cheese that we can order online! (Only $90 for 10#—and TOTALLY worth it!)
Fun fact #1: the best way to eat Grandma’s Cheese: on wheat bread with mayo, salt, and pepper
Fun fact #2: just like there are many wineries that make Pinot noir that each taste unique, each cheese factory’s “cheddar” is different. Based on the source ingredient, the cheese making process, and the cheesemakers recipe.
(I am just a cheesehead—big fan of cheese— and not even a cheese pseudo-scientist, so don’t quote me as fact.)
Oh man we are so aligned. I just replied to Robin’s comment with a wine metaphor then I read your reply! Also…I had tasted something called “butter cheese” at a hickory farms store when I was young and spent years and years looking for it. I wonder if it was really brick cheese?
I remember brick cheese. I loved that stuff. We would often get this one. This and dill Havarti. Great, now I'm hungry for that! Perhaps they sell it around here??
I don't know about this whole mayo thing. We would eat it with butter on rye 😄
There are definitely different soft cheddar varietals 🧀 I pretty much love them all. There's only one cheese beside Brie that I'm not a big fan of... Chocolate Cheese. Did you ever get a pound of this stuff?? Yikes.
You are right. There is no cheese curd that compares to Ellsworth Cheese curds. However, when in a pinch, I will enjoy any brand, as long as it's squeaky. The lack of "sqeaky cheese" in NY and AZ has truly got me missing home.
Same here regarding the squeaky cheese. I really miss that experience of the Wisconsin I loved. We always made it part of a day out. Loved the little towns and bucolic scenery of summer. I have not gotten the WI experience here in Oregon either.
It’s a trade off I suppose. You have the coast and the mountains which are arguably better than WI in some ways. I have the desert and the mountains and NYC depending on where I am at the moment.
But does it make up for a Sunday family cheese curd excursion? It’s debatable. 😆
I definitely miss it, but the one trade I’ve enjoyed is No Snow (well, very very little). When we want the Wisconsin experience, we just head up to Tillamook.
I have always wanted to go to the Southwest, and NYC is one of my favorite places on earth 😄 But yeah, family cheese days are missed for sure! 😊
I've only had cheese curds at this place called Culver's (fried) and while, not bad, I can't imagine they're anywhere as good as your Wisconsin cheese. I've never had much of a reason to travel there, but after reading this, it's on my list.
Culver's is a classic Wisconsin stop, It is all over the place and the fried cheese curds are super good and so is the food. The fresh cheese curds from one of the cooperatives though... that's the way!! :-)
If ever I’m near Wisconsin I will find a c Cheese Shop with fresh ones. I just wish they weren’t called curds or even turds. Cheese bits would be better. Thank you for all this foodie information. Road trip.
Just think of them as Cheese Pieces 🧀😄 It's pretty much what they are. Honestly, I think anybody (who isn't lactose intolerant or a vegan) would love them.
There are three things that start with "CH" that I absolutely love: Cheese, Chocolate, and Chaka Khan! I love cheese curd! Rarely have it, and I mostly eat Tillamook cheese (I think from Costco or whole foods) but I sure love cheese and the new things I learned in this post! 🧀💛
I love all those things too!! But avoid something from these small shops called “chocolate cheese” it’s nasty 😆 Tillamook Hard Cheddar is a close second for me to fresh curds! Thanks John! 😊
When I retire in like 30 years, one of the things I want to do is go on a food tour of the US. Wisconsin cheese is on top of my list, and I'll try the cheese curds, but I'm not promising anything!
If I am ever in that part of the country I will give it a try. A friend of mine told me that cheese fresh from a factory is like fresh bread out of the oven, it is always better. Also the last time I flew apparently there was a big group of seniors that I was in line. When we went through the scanner the buzzer and lights signaled caution. We all got patted down because of implants. The TSA agent wondered how she got so lucky having to pat down so many seniors. I was headed to Memphis and the group was headed for a cruise.
It's a canadian dish that started in Quebec. It's fries covered in gravy and cheese curds. The cheese almost "squeaks" in your mouth, like that texture. Hard to explain. Some places load it with meats and other stuff too! It's delicious and that's coming from someone who doesn't like cheese haha.
If you see it with mozzarella, that's a fake poutine ;)
I grew up in Michigan - how come we didn't have cheese curds? I've never seen or tried them and they look suspicious, but you're a great writer so you're trustworthy. I searched for "fresh cheese curds in Austin TX" and the first item was this:
"Anyone know where I could buy cheese curds in Austin? 10 years ago
Both Central Market and Whole Foods keep them in stock, although my friends from Wisconsin assure me that they are not squeaky like fresh ones."
Thanks for reading, Mary! I’m starting to think this may be more of a Wisconsin thing by all the people I’ve spoken to about this. Maybe even more West Wisconsin. It doesn’t look like your link is fresh factory cheese curd… sorry 😢 Try to find a local cheese company out in the boondocks some little town and ask if they have it? I don’t HATE grocery store bought curds, they just aren’t the same (but I will eat them in a pinch 😄)! 🧀🪤
Here in the UK, we don't really have cheese curds as far as I know. We do have all those fancy blue cheeses, like Stilton and Shropshire Blue (which can cause controversy, as it is sometimes marketed as Blue Shropshire) and cheese is by far my favourite foodstuff, if not my favourite thing, full stop. I'm curious now about the curds.
I actually love those superb British cheeses! 🧀 I could spend a year in the UK doing a cheese tour. You might just like the Wisconsin Cheese Curds, Andy 😄
This story was delightful. I was terrified something was gonna happen to your cheese. You sure make those cheese curds sounds delectable. P.S.: My condolences to you and your family in regards to your father.
Thanks BEE that is so nice of you to say 😊 Of interest to you… one of my favorites The Eau Galle Cheese Factory is a mile from a killer apiary! I miss it so much.
I have NEVER been to the Mars Cheese Castle!! I'd love to go on day I'm thinking lol! We were on the other side of the state. Did that used to be a Medieval Times Dinner spot or something?? (It kind of looks like it)
It was not a Midieval Times. It’s always been Mars. Well, it was originally a school, but that burned down in the 50s or 60s and they rebuilt it as a castle. It’s a great spot. Love it. They have live music and it’s the shuttle stop to O’hare, which is usually when I plan my trips there, on the way to the airport. Even though, it’s only 20 min from where I grew up.
I have mugs from there because my husband made a stop after a business trip in Milwaukee (we’re in Chicago) and I collect mugs. But I haven’t been there myself. I’m not sure if it was a Medieval Times, but it definitely looks like it!
I know someone is from Wisconsin if they take cheese seriously.
That’s a fact! The cheesehead thing is real. 🧀😄
Certainly amongst fans of the Packers.
I gotta’ get one of those hats 😁🧀
I grew up in southern Oregon, close enough to Tillamook Creamery (back when it was still Tillamook Cheese Factory) to know about the wonders of cheese curds but far enough away that they were still a rare treat. Fun fact: when I was around 8 years old, I was at the grocery store with my mom and saw that they were selling cheese curds. I got so excited, I pointed and yelled, "Look Mom! CHEESE TURDS!!!" And that's how I learned they were curds, not turds.
Oh my goodness! Best story ever! Cheese turds!!
Cheese turds 😆😆 To some people, that sums it up for them. Our problem in Wisconsin was that we lived too close to the curd factories. We could just get the fresh curds whenever we wanted! 🧀😬
Tell me again why that's a problem??
It is a problem now that we don’t have immediate access to them. We are cheese curd snobs with a terrible craving. Like needing wine but only from France.
Cheese-related death from overconsumption 💀 😬😄
I have never, to my knowledge, eaten cheese curds. Now I know my next life goal. Side note: I was shocked to find you ate neither a cheese scientist nor Mr. JP Morgan Chase Stanley Dean Whitter. Everything I thought I knew about you has been A LIE!!!
I could live on these things, if they weren’t trying to kill me at the same time. Also, I may not be a cheese scientist, but I am cheesy pseudo-scientist 🧀 😆
The best kind!
I was never a big cheese curd fan… maybe it was because we called it “squeaky cheese” (although, I like Robin’s term—“cheese turds”). However, I LOVE cheese. Every time we went to visit the family farm near Boyceville, we’d get a block of Brick cheese (know to us a “Grandma’s Cheese,” appropriately named because she always had some on hand). It’s a medium-soft pale yellow-white cheese with tiny holes. The cheese factory we bought from finally closed. My dad recently found another factory that makes a very similar cheese that we can order online! (Only $90 for 10#—and TOTALLY worth it!)
Fun fact #1: the best way to eat Grandma’s Cheese: on wheat bread with mayo, salt, and pepper
Fun fact #2: just like there are many wineries that make Pinot noir that each taste unique, each cheese factory’s “cheddar” is different. Based on the source ingredient, the cheese making process, and the cheesemakers recipe.
(I am just a cheesehead—big fan of cheese— and not even a cheese pseudo-scientist, so don’t quote me as fact.)
Oh man we are so aligned. I just replied to Robin’s comment with a wine metaphor then I read your reply! Also…I had tasted something called “butter cheese” at a hickory farms store when I was young and spent years and years looking for it. I wonder if it was really brick cheese?
No, butter cheese is different. If I remember correctly, it is more like Brie (no holes, smooth, and spreadable vs. slicing). Also delicious 😋
I remember brick cheese. I loved that stuff. We would often get this one. This and dill Havarti. Great, now I'm hungry for that! Perhaps they sell it around here??
I don't know about this whole mayo thing. We would eat it with butter on rye 😄
There are definitely different soft cheddar varietals 🧀 I pretty much love them all. There's only one cheese beside Brie that I'm not a big fan of... Chocolate Cheese. Did you ever get a pound of this stuff?? Yikes.
You are right. There is no cheese curd that compares to Ellsworth Cheese curds. However, when in a pinch, I will enjoy any brand, as long as it's squeaky. The lack of "sqeaky cheese" in NY and AZ has truly got me missing home.
Same here regarding the squeaky cheese. I really miss that experience of the Wisconsin I loved. We always made it part of a day out. Loved the little towns and bucolic scenery of summer. I have not gotten the WI experience here in Oregon either.
It’s a trade off I suppose. You have the coast and the mountains which are arguably better than WI in some ways. I have the desert and the mountains and NYC depending on where I am at the moment.
But does it make up for a Sunday family cheese curd excursion? It’s debatable. 😆
I think Oregon is Wisconsin on steroids…but I too miss the squeaky cheese.
I definitely miss it, but the one trade I’ve enjoyed is No Snow (well, very very little). When we want the Wisconsin experience, we just head up to Tillamook.
I have always wanted to go to the Southwest, and NYC is one of my favorite places on earth 😄 But yeah, family cheese days are missed for sure! 😊
I've only had cheese curds at this place called Culver's (fried) and while, not bad, I can't imagine they're anywhere as good as your Wisconsin cheese. I've never had much of a reason to travel there, but after reading this, it's on my list.
Culver's is a classic Wisconsin stop, It is all over the place and the fried cheese curds are super good and so is the food. The fresh cheese curds from one of the cooperatives though... that's the way!! :-)
If ever I’m near Wisconsin I will find a c Cheese Shop with fresh ones. I just wish they weren’t called curds or even turds. Cheese bits would be better. Thank you for all this foodie information. Road trip.
Just think of them as Cheese Pieces 🧀😄 It's pretty much what they are. Honestly, I think anybody (who isn't lactose intolerant or a vegan) would love them.
There are three things that start with "CH" that I absolutely love: Cheese, Chocolate, and Chaka Khan! I love cheese curd! Rarely have it, and I mostly eat Tillamook cheese (I think from Costco or whole foods) but I sure love cheese and the new things I learned in this post! 🧀💛
I love all those things too!! But avoid something from these small shops called “chocolate cheese” it’s nasty 😆 Tillamook Hard Cheddar is a close second for me to fresh curds! Thanks John! 😊
When I retire in like 30 years, one of the things I want to do is go on a food tour of the US. Wisconsin cheese is on top of my list, and I'll try the cheese curds, but I'm not promising anything!
All I can say is: Ellsworth Cheese Curd Factory 😁 I’d love to go on a food tour!!
If I am ever in that part of the country I will give it a try. A friend of mine told me that cheese fresh from a factory is like fresh bread out of the oven, it is always better. Also the last time I flew apparently there was a big group of seniors that I was in line. When we went through the scanner the buzzer and lights signaled caution. We all got patted down because of implants. The TSA agent wondered how she got so lucky having to pat down so many seniors. I was headed to Memphis and the group was headed for a cruise.
It’s definitely different than most people are used to. I like the bread analogy. That sounds about right to me. 🧀
Have you ever had a poutine?
No but I would love it I know!!
It's a canadian dish that started in Quebec. It's fries covered in gravy and cheese curds. The cheese almost "squeaks" in your mouth, like that texture. Hard to explain. Some places load it with meats and other stuff too! It's delicious and that's coming from someone who doesn't like cheese haha.
If you see it with mozzarella, that's a fake poutine ;)
I grew up in Michigan - how come we didn't have cheese curds? I've never seen or tried them and they look suspicious, but you're a great writer so you're trustworthy. I searched for "fresh cheese curds in Austin TX" and the first item was this:
"Anyone know where I could buy cheese curds in Austin? 10 years ago
Both Central Market and Whole Foods keep them in stock, although my friends from Wisconsin assure me that they are not squeaky like fresh ones."
The second item was from one of my favorite grocery stores. What do you think? :https://www.centralmarket.com/product/hennings-yellow-cheddar-cheese-curds/834103
Maybe Austin is cheese curd country. P.S. I loved this post. 😂
Thanks for reading, Mary! I’m starting to think this may be more of a Wisconsin thing by all the people I’ve spoken to about this. Maybe even more West Wisconsin. It doesn’t look like your link is fresh factory cheese curd… sorry 😢 Try to find a local cheese company out in the boondocks some little town and ask if they have it? I don’t HATE grocery store bought curds, they just aren’t the same (but I will eat them in a pinch 😄)! 🧀🪤
Great article, Adam!
Thanks Kelly! 🧀☺️
Here in the UK, we don't really have cheese curds as far as I know. We do have all those fancy blue cheeses, like Stilton and Shropshire Blue (which can cause controversy, as it is sometimes marketed as Blue Shropshire) and cheese is by far my favourite foodstuff, if not my favourite thing, full stop. I'm curious now about the curds.
I actually love those superb British cheeses! 🧀 I could spend a year in the UK doing a cheese tour. You might just like the Wisconsin Cheese Curds, Andy 😄
Just a year? It's my lifetime's quest.
#facts
This story was delightful. I was terrified something was gonna happen to your cheese. You sure make those cheese curds sounds delectable. P.S.: My condolences to you and your family in regards to your father.
Thanks BEE that is so nice of you to say 😊 Of interest to you… one of my favorites The Eau Galle Cheese Factory is a mile from a killer apiary! I miss it so much.
You're welcome! Wow! That sounds like a terrifying location.
😁 Sorry not a killer BEE apiary 😂
LOL
I've only ever had deep fried cheese curds, but the Mars Cheese Castle isn't too far away!
I have NEVER been to the Mars Cheese Castle!! I'd love to go on day I'm thinking lol! We were on the other side of the state. Did that used to be a Medieval Times Dinner spot or something?? (It kind of looks like it)
It was not a Midieval Times. It’s always been Mars. Well, it was originally a school, but that burned down in the 50s or 60s and they rebuilt it as a castle. It’s a great spot. Love it. They have live music and it’s the shuttle stop to O’hare, which is usually when I plan my trips there, on the way to the airport. Even though, it’s only 20 min from where I grew up.
This place looks dope. Cheese dope 😄
I have mugs from there because my husband made a stop after a business trip in Milwaukee (we’re in Chicago) and I collect mugs. But I haven’t been there myself. I’m not sure if it was a Medieval Times, but it definitely looks like it!
They should definitely consider a joint Cheese Shop-Medieval Times joint venture 😸