MADISON, Wis. – The nation is currently experiencing a 1.4 billion-pound cheese surplus which began accumulating several years ago, according to the USDA. In response to that, Travel Wisconsin is inviting cheese lovers everywhere to bite into the Dairy State’s most abundant (and delicious) natural resource: cheese.
News of this stockpile hits just in time for "National Cheese Lover's Day" on January 20, providing food lovers the perfect reason to dig in to Wisconsin’s award-winning cheese.
Cheese lovers can take a cheese tour at one of nearly 100 cheese factories around the state, whip up a delicious cheese dish in one of Wisconsin’s cooking classes or attend one of the more than 13 festivals dedicated specifically to cheese.
Even the most dedicated Cheeseheads might not know some of these cheesy fun facts:
- Wisconsin produces one out of every four pounds of the nation’s cheese supply, making our state the “big cheese” in the dairy world. Ninety percent of Wisconsin milk is made into cheese.
- Forty-seven percent of all specialty cheese made in the U.S. comes from Wisconsin. Brick and Colby cheese were first created in Wisconsin. Limburger – the world’s single foulest-smelling cheese – is made only in Monroe.
- Wisconsin produces 600 varieties of cheese. Studies show that Americans’ appetite for processed cheese is turning in favor of more refined styles.
“Wisconsin produces more than 2.8 billion pounds of cheese per year,” said Tourism Secretary-Designee Sara Meaney. “With an abundance of cheese in the nation, it’s the perfect time to support local dairy farmers by visiting a Wisconsin cheese shop and tasting Wisconsin’s cheesy delicacies.”
Visit TravelWisconsin.com to read more about Wisconsin cheeses and where you can find them.
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