What In The World Is A Cheese Curd?
Im a Wisconsin girl so I like to think that I know cheese. Itis one of the products the state is well known for and issomething I grew up eating quite often, especially during theholidays. That was because we used to receive a 5-pound block ofcheese every year as a Christmas present. Five pounds of cheesewas a lot of cheese to eat, even for a family like ours wholoved cheese but since we were usually given cheddar cheese Ididnt mind. Cheddar was my favorite cheese when I was a childand is still my favorite kind of cheese. Most cheese curds (atleast the ones made in Wisconsin) are a cheddar cheese product.And even though the name suggests they might be a “less thantasty” item, they are delicious! Cheddar cheese curds arebasically what cheddar cheese is before it is pressed into ablock and aged (cheddar cheese you see in your grocery store isaged – usually at least 60 days and up to several years). Its avery fresh product (think baby cheese or newborn cheese!) and ittastes best when eaten as soon after being made as possible. Inmy opinion cheese curds taste best the same day they are madebut thats not an option for a lot of people. Im lucky enoughto live near several cheese factories that make cheese curds soI go purchase them on the days they make them.
Cheese curds are available in several flavors. Although thetraditional yellow/orange cheese curds are the most popular andmost widely available Ive also seen and tried white cheddarcheese curds in addition to the following flavors: garlic, dill,jalapeno (they have a “kick” to them), Cajun (also have a “kick”to them), pesto, chipotle, and paprika. Cheese curds have asmooth texture. Plain cheese curds have a mild salty flavor.They come in their natural shape and form which is small randomchunks.
Although most cheese curds are made
from cheddar cheese, colby,mozzarella, and monterey jack cheese curds are available.
Although “fresh” cheese curds may be available at your localsupermarket, its likely they are at least a week old by thattime. Because cheese curds are a fresh cheese product they dostart to lose their flavor fairly quickly. Cheese curds are bestif eaten within a week of being made. If you dont have theluxury of going directly to a cheese factory to buy fresh cheesecurds order them online or by phone from a cheese factory thatships them the same day they make them. Youll be glad you wentto the trouble of ordering the freshest curds possible.
One fun thing about cheese curds is that they “squeak.” A freshcheese curd will make a squeaky noise while youre eating it.Thats one of the reasons why kids love to eat cheese curds.
Besides eating them fresh, another tasty way to eat a cheesecurd is to deep-fry it (and yes, a deep-fried cheese curd isdefinitely not a “health food”). You can purchase special battermixes made especially for cheese curds, but a general purposebatter mix like Golden Dipt All Purpose Batter Mix (made byMcCormick) works fine. But personally, my favorite type ofbatter for deep fried cheese curds is a beer batter (can youtell Im from Wisconsin?).
If you havent had the opportunity to taste a cheese curd yet, Ihighly recommend trying them. Even if you are not a huge fan ofcheese, youll probably like cheese curds because they a fresh,mild-tasting product. Happy eating!
About the author:
D Ruplinger is a featured writer http://www.mycheesecurds.com. Visit the web site for more information about cheese curds,including cheesecurds from Wisconsin.
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