GREEN BAY (NBC 26) - You feta believe it, it's time to celebrate a Wisconsin delicacy: cheese!
June 4 is National Cheese Day, and it's only fitting as June kicks off National Dairy month.
"Cheese and dairy is more important to Wisconsin's economy than potatoes to Idaho and oranges to Florida combined," said Ben Shibler, a Head Licensed Cheesemaker at Ron's Wisconsin Cheese in Luxemburg.
The industry is a livelihood for many in Wisconsin; Shibler said it's more than a $46 billion industry. Shibler, himself, has been cheesin' for about 15 years. He's currently in a master cheesemaker program, expected to graduate in about two years.
"My favorite is our hot pepper infused whip and string," he said, which won a gold medal the U.S. Cheese Championship last year.
But for more fun facts about cheese: in queso you didn't know, it takes about 10 pounds of milk to produce 1 pound of cheese; and the yellow color you typically think about, well, that's not exactly au natural.
"No cheese is yellow," Shibler said. "Milk is white; cheese does not naturally turn yellow; you have to add a dye to it." Being sure to add, "The dye does not affect the flavor."
However, a very popular cheese with a unique flavor that your nose will never miss is made right here in the heart of cheese country.
"Probably one of the most unique cheeses in Wisconsin is Limburger," he said. "There's really nothing else like it."
And as the world stocks up on mozzarella and cheddar, the most consumed cheeses on the planet, Thursday might be a day to give another flavor a try. (Because they're all pretty Gouda or dairy good!) Shibler adding, they delivered hundreds of pounds of fresh, squeaky curds to local grocery stores, like Festival, Thursday morning.
