Wisconsin cheese is the best. Strong statement, I know. But I’m not only saying it because I’m from the Dairy State and try to have Hook’s 15-year aged cheddar stocked in my fridge at all times. Wisconsin consistently wins more world cheese awards than any other state or country. It is the only state requiring cheese makers to have a license, and the University of Wisconsin-Madison Center for Dairy Research is the only American university with a Master Cheesemaker program.
What makes Wisconsin cheese so great? The technical requirements are part of it, as is the fertile land and balanced climate, where milk production can excel. A lot of it though, has to do with immigration. In the 1800s, cheesemakers from Germany, France, Switzerland, the Netherlands, and Italy brought their Old World cheesemaking skills to Wisconsin. Swiss was one of the first cheeses made in the state, and soon after Mozzarella and Provolone became popular. The French brought blue cheese and Camembert, while the Germans brought Limburger and Muenster. Havarti came from the Scandinavians, and Edam and Gouda from the Dutch.
“Almost all creamers have some kind of heritage that goes back to Europe,” says Kristine Hansen, author of “Wisconsin Cheese Cookbook: Creamy, Cheesy, Sweet, and Savory Recipes from the State’s Best Creameries,” published earlier this month. “They didn’t just wake up one day and say I’m going to make cheese. A lot of them grew up watching their parents making cheese, and they probably learned from their parents, and their grandparents, who can be traced back to Europe.”
Some cheeses though, like Brick and Colby, originated in Wisconsin. Today, there are more than 1,800,000 cows in Wisconsin producing 13,500 pounds of milk each year. About three-quarters of that milk is used to make cheese–2 billion pounds of cheese per year, or 30 percent of the total cheese production in the United States. Many people think of cheddar when they think of Wisconsin, and some of the creameries do make very good cheddar. But there are more than 250 varieties and styles of cheese made in Wisconsin, and “Wisconsin Cheese Cookbook” covers many of them.
In the book, Hansen profiles creameries that have a compelling story and have won awards. Though, that doesn’t narrow it down much. “Almost every creamery has won an award,” she says. “It speaks to the quality of our milk as well as the terroir of the soil, and the skill.” Reading, you’ll learn about a mix of small, artisan creameries, as well as big names like BelGioioso, and find recipes from dips to gnocchi and beloved fried cheese curds.
Cheesemakers were historically men, but that’s changing. In honor of Women’s Month at Curiosity Magazine, we spoke with Hansen about five of the best women cheesemakers in Wisconsin.
Julie Hook of Hook’s Cheese Company–Mineral Point, WI
College sweethearts Julie and Tony Hook own Hook’s Cheese Company, and while Tony was the one who started making cheese, it was Julie who first won awards. Her Colby cheese won the “Best in Class” award at the World Cheese Championship contest in 1982, and also the overall “World Champion Award.” She is still the only woman to ever win the latter. Visit Hook’s Cheese Company in Mineral Point, Wisconsin, buy online, or find Julie at the Dane County Farmers’ Market in Madison. (And trust me, the 15-year cheddar will change your life).
Anna Thomas Bates and Anna Landmark of Landmark Creamery–Paoli, WI
The two Annas of Landmark Creamery met at a potluck five years ago, and quickly became business partners. They make fantastic sheep’s milk cheeses, which are sold in their shop and can be found on restaurant menus in Madison and Milwaukee. “These two women are in some ways on their second careers,” says Hansen. “It’s interesting, actually. I found while writing this book that a lot of cheesemakers are people on their second career.” Anna Thomas Bates worked for the Department of Natural Resources in Wisconsin, and Anna Landmark was a political consultant. They’ve worked hard to get their name out there, and credit the cheese making community and Soil Sisters collective for some of their success. Shop online or visit the store in the adorable town of Paoli.
Katie Fuhrmann of LaClare Family Creamery–Malone
Wisconsin leads the nation in goat’s milk production, and Katie LaClare makes some of the world’s best goat cheese. Evalon, an aged goat’s milk cheese, won “Best of Show” in the US Championship Cheese Contest in 2011, and the creamery’s cave-aged Chandoka won second-place in its class at the World Championship Cheese Contest in 2018. Katie Fuhrmann got her start in cheese making when she attended the 2009 US Championship Cheese Contest to accept a business award on behalf of her parents, and the Master Cheesemaker seated next to her inspired her to turn the family’s goat farm into a creamery. “She’s in her 30s, married with young children, and taking the family business in a new direction,” says Hansen. Shop online, visit the creamery in Malone, or use the store locator to find an award-winning goat cheese retailer near you.
Huma Siddiqui of White Jasmine–Madison
Huma Saddiqi is originally from Pakistan, but found herself living in North Africa, England, and eventually Mount Horeb, Wisconsin 23 years ago. “I’ve learned no matter where you live, if you know how to cook well, you make a lot of friends,” Siddiqi told Hansen. She began hosting feasts at her house as a way to meet neighbors, but missed spices from her native cuisine. “I realized nobody uses any spices and I was shocked,” she says in Wisconsin Cheese Cookbook. She created a line of spices, and then, because she was living in America’s Dairyland, a line of spice-rubbed cheese. “She makes Gouda rubbed with cilantro, cumin, sajji, and tandoori,” says Hansen. “It’s really interesting because she’s a female cheesemaker making a product that’s never been done before.” Siddiqi is continuing Wisconsin’s tradition of immigrants producing great dairy products. Buy her spiced cheeses online here or take one of her cooking classes in Madison.
Marieke Penterman of Holland’s Family Cheese–Thorp
“The short version of the story is that Marieke Penterman followed a cute guy from Holland to Wisconsin,” writes Hansen in Wisconsin Cheese Cookbook. But of course, there’s more to it than that. After becoming a mom, Penterman wanted her own career, and also missed Gouda from her native Netherlands. “She wanted to do something for herself,” Hansen says. “And she wasn’t happy with what she was finding in Wisconsin in terms of Gouda, so she started to make her own.” In 2006, she released her first batch, and won her first award in 2007. “Before we started this crazy adventure, I’d never made cheese in my whole life,” Penterman told Hansen. But, Hansen says, “it shows if you really know and understand the flavor profile of something, you can replicate it.” In 2013, Penterman’s Marieke Gouda Mature was named Grand Champion at the US Championship Cheese Contest. Since then, she has won many awards at the national and international level. Visit the creamery in Thorp, Wisconsin, or order Gouda online.
On your next trip…
If you’re visiting Madison, head to the Dane County Farmers’ Market or stop in Fromagination, a great cheese shop on the Capitol Square in downtown Madison, where you can find many of these and other local cheeses. Keep an eye out on restaurant menus around the state, as cheese courses and plates are popular. In Milwaukee, where Hansen lives, she recommends trying Wisconsin cheeses at the Milwaukee Public Market. “They have almost every Wisconsin cheese producer represented there,” she says. “And what I like is that they sell orphans–small wedges of cheese you can eat right out of the packaging or pair with bread. They’re great if you’re traveling and don’t want a half pound of cheese you can’t take home.”
