What's the best cheese? Tough question. There are more than 1,800 varieties of cheese in the world, so choosing the absolute best is a bit of a challenge. It's a personal decision, really. Do you prefer the crystalline crunch and salty tang of an aged parmesan cheese? Or, are you more into the heavenly, creamy goodness of a fresh burrata? Does the pungent, earthy flavor of gorgonzola make your taste buds yell, "bring it on?" Or, is the mild meltability of a Monterey Jack more your style?
Whatever your pick for best cheese, it's likely that your cheese of choice was made in Wisconsin. Our cheesemakers have been making the best cheese on the planet for more than 175 years, and they've brought home more than 5,500 best cheese awards to prove it – more than any other state or country.
So, next time you're looking at a chunk of cheese in the marketplace, if it has a Proudly Wisconsin Cheese ™ badge on the label, you can be sure you're looking at the best cheese in the world.
Speaking of best cheese, below are some Wisconsin cheeses that are taken home awards for the best cheese at the USA and World Championship Cheese contests.
Of course, Wisconsin cheesemakers have created hundreds of other incredible cheeses – from Cupola and colby, to brick and BellaVitano®, and even Wisconsin cheese curds -- that we think are some of the best cheeses around.
Mozzarella cheese is the world's most favorite pizza cheese and the biggest seller in America. But any cheese that melts well can be great on pizza. Big flavored cheeses like romano, gorgonzola or limburger add tons of flavor to a pizza, while dollops of softer cheeses like goat cheese or burrata add a layer of creamy texture.
The best mac and cheese is made with two kinds of cheeses, one for melting and one for flavor. Cheeses like cheddar, smoked gouda andgorgonzolaare great for flavor, while Monterey Jack, baby swiss, Oaxaca, and fontina are cheeses that melt like a dream. In a pinch, havarti can be used as a melter that packs a lot of flavor.
You want a variety of cheeses on a charcuterie platter to provide a mix of textures and flavor. A hard cheese like Romano, a soft cheese like quark, a semi-firm cheese like swiss along with a blue cheese or smoked gouda is an excellent start.
Alpine-style cheeses like emmentaler, swiss, fontina, – or any cheese that works in a classic fondue recipe will be a good melter. Edam, provolone, cheddar, gouda, monterey jack, and queso quesadilla are also great melting cheeses and are equally at home in a sophisticated mornay sauce or a quick beer cheese dip.
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When you truly want the best cheese, look for Wisconsin cheese. Sure, there are great cheeses to be found all over the world, and in Wisconsin, we're thankful for all the cheese traditions of Europe and Mexico. It's just that we think our cheesemakers make them all a little bit better.
See, in Wisconsin, making cheese is our deal. We are a state that's dedicated to one thing: making the tastiest, most award-winning, highest-quality cheese on the planet. It's why we devote 90% of the milk made in Wisconsin to cheesemaking, and why we produce more flavors, styles, and varieties of cheese – 600 and counting – than any other place on earth.
So, when you're looking for a cheese that can claim to be the best, if you start your search in Wisconsin, you won't have to look far.
Craving award-winning aged cheddar, pining for parmesan, or searching for a new cheese to try? The world’s best cheese is just a click away! Explore our directory of Wisconsin cheesemakers and retailers who offer online cheese shopping and get cheese shipped right to your door. What are you waiting for?
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