World Championship Cheese Curd Throw

Couldn’t pass up throwing in a quick plug for the World Championship Cheese Curd Throw being held in Colby, Wisconsin. According to the Wasau Daily Herald, “The fifth annual World Championship Cheese Curd Throw will be held on Saturday, July 18, during Colby’s Cheese Days celebration. The event begins at 2:30 p.m. on First Street, in front of the Cheese Days beer garden.”

It’s $2 per throw with all proceeds going to charity. And, why throw cheese curds?

As the official site explains, “Some people throw horseshoes….or cowpies…. But we’re WISCONSINITES! What else can we throw but CURDS? For fun….for sport….and, most of all, for the TROPHIES (awarded in 5 age groups, male & female, plus one ‘Grand Champion’) and don’t forget BRAGGING RIGHTS!!!”

Who can argue?

The True Cheese Curd History

So, hopefully I can shed a little light on cheese curd myth and reality for you. I’m sure if you’re looking for cheese curd history that this isn’t the first place you checked. You maybe have read the Arabian tales of how the first cheese curds came to be, or perhaps Celtic songs that mention the curd. I thought I would clear up a bit of confusion regarding the Celtic song. Mentions of a 1911 article from the New York Times have been copied and pasted across websites without clarification. If you have read these, I’m here to provide the real skinny on the matter.

The article on cheese curds…there is none. Rather an unmentioned reviewer who was required to take a course on “near Keltic and neo Keltic poetry was curious” as to what actual or ancient songs of Ireland were like. The book “Ancient Irish Poetry (E.P. Dutton and Company)” was heartily recommended and thus began the reviewers explanation of the book’s content.

In the review, we come across the poem so often mentioned in cheese curd history and lore as “The Vision of MacGonlannee,” which is actually titled in the article as “The Vision of MacGonglinne.” And, here is the actual quote that will be of interest to Cheese Curd afficianados as an early mention of curds.

“A curious coincidence, if not a curious incident of racial evolution is the fact that by the twelfth century the Irish had become sufficiently sophisticated to ridicule their own earlier naive admiration for ‘pedestals of white bronze,’ ’stairs of gold,’ and ’steeds of yellow gold,’ ‘The Vision of MacGonglinne’ is a burlesque of that period. After the manner of old Sagas it describes a house set on an island in the midst of the sea:

Stately, pleasantly it sat,
A compact house and strong.
               Then I went in;
The door of it was hung beef,
The threshold was dry bread,
               Cheese-curds the walls.

Smooth pillars of old cheese
And a sappy bacon props
               Alternate ranged;
Stately beams of mellow cream,
White posts of real curds
               Kept up the house.

Within, a household generous,
A welcome of red, firm-fed men
               A round the fire;
Seven bead-strings and necklets seven
Of cheeses and of bits of tripe
               Round each man’s neck.

A race with so true balancewheel of humor as this burlesque shows the Irish had almost from the beginning could not go very far astray in the more serious matters of religion.”

The article in case you want to look it up in the New York Times archives is from September 10, 1911 in the Review of Books section. It was called, “Songs of Long Hushed Harps,” with the subheading: Tunes that the Keltic Bards SEt Ringing Centuries Ago in Praise of Love and War.” Note: This is also just one translation of the poem.

While it’s true that this is an early mention of cheese curds, I found that it is often taken out of context for the point of discussing curd history. For more resources on the song, check out:

Actual Book of Irish Poetry
Various versions of The Vision of MacConglinne (Aislinge Meic Con Glinne)
Great History of Cheese Curds at EatCurds.com

Pilgrimage to the Cheese Curd Capital

Since starting this blog, I have been constantly googling the term cheese curds. Upon finding out that the cheese curd capital is only an hour away from the Twin Cities, I knew a visit to Ellsworth, Wissconsin, was in order.

This Saturday was gorgeous and with curds on the brain, we cruised down Interstate 94 to Highway 10 to check out the Ellsworth Cooperative Cremery. The drive was beautiful across the Mississippi through St. Paul, over the St. Croix into Prescott, Wisconsin, and then followed Highway 10 over rolling hills surrounded by corn and hay fields into Ellsworth. To get to the Ellsworth Coperative Cremery, you drive through the town and when you’re nearly out, take a left immediately after the Cenex Station on North Wallace Street.

You can see the brick Cremery Building from the highway. It’s about three to four stories high, and the store is on the left side. Plenty of locals were coming in and grabbing fresh cheese curds made that day. The place is filled with curds, block cheese, and cheese trinkets, if you’re a collector.

Talking about the curds, they have both yellow and white. In the refrigerated section, they offered garlic, ranch, taco, and cajun spiced curds. The garlic called to me.

While we were there, we saw many local and experienced patrons picking up bags of the freshest curds stacked on the table that greets you upon walking into the cremery. It didn’t take a rocket scientist to figure out that these are the curds to take. It was short visit, we spent maybe 20 minutes in the place, but I promise you the reward is great.

Biting Into The Curd
You won’t be disappointed with a bag of the cremery’s fresh curds. Upon biting into a curd and rubbing it against my teeth, I could hear its squeaky freshness. The squeaking continues as you chew. With each bite, you’ll notice the firmness of the curd and a light saltiness much akin to what you expect from a great cottage cheese. The moisture and freshness is there with each curd as you plow through the bag.

Since you’re in Wisconsin, a happy complement to cheese curds is any one of the lighter ales from New Glarus Brewing Company. It’s a great eating experience, and one that truly demonstrates why fresh curds are the best.

Blog of the Week: Cheese Underground

The Cheese Underground or what may be better called Confessions of a Cheeseaholic covers cheese culture and the craft of artisian cheeses in Wisconsin. Since I’m heading across the border tomorrow to Ellsworth, Cheese Curd Capital of Wisconsin, it seemed only appropriate that I might look online for a few pointers on the area. That’s when I stumbled across the Cheese Underground.

The site really covers everything you’d ever want to know about Wisconsin cheese culture from the making of cheese and cheese curds to a story of romance involving a cheese sculptor. You’ll find that Jeanne Carpenter, blogger and self-proclaimed cheese geek, does a wonderful job of going beyond talking about local cheese makers, and presenting her stories with a lot of heart, details, and through video. You get a great sense of the unique talents and passions of these artisians when their craft is on display.

Everything You Wanted to Know About Cheese Curds
And of course with every post at Quest for Perfect Curds, there is always a cheese curd angle. In a recent post, Cheese Underground covers my beloved curds even adding a bit about the nutritutional information. More important is a treasure map, Carpenter provides laying out various locations across Wisconsin where you can find fresh curds. Think of it as a curd crawl across the state.  The site eatcurds.com provides everything you wanted to know about cheese curds but were afraid to ask.

Adventures at Psycho Suzi’s

Preparing for any quest whether the holy grail or the perfect fried cheese curd (which might be just as sacred) demands diligent research. Where do I begin my adventures? The Google gods led the way to Chowhound.

MN State Fair Style Cheese Curds?
“I have a craving and can’t wait until August. Is there anywhere with state fair style cheese curds that are available year-round?”

The first answer pointed the way to Psycho Suzi’s Motor Lodge, great pizza haven in the Northeast and oh they have cheese curds.  With great weather the outdoor seating was filled but that didn’t stop the quest. Settling up near the bar, I quickly located the curds on the menu and placed the order.

Beer-battered cheese curds – $6.95
We make ‘em here.
Comes with our house red sauce

The other bonus of Psycho Suzi’s is that they have Bells Two Hearted Ale on tap-the perfect complement to any curd.

Staying with the tacky tiki theme, the curds came in a wooden basket. They were served with a homemade marinara sauce to the left of the curds and the requested ranch dressing (dipping weapon of choice) to the right.  

The cheese curds were nearly perfect-crispy beer battered edges and chewy but firm in the middle. The fried curds were stuffed with mozerella and had great flavor.

The marinara sauce was an interesting experience. It had a rich tomato flavor with a slight pepper kick/twang on the end. It went very well with the curds, although I am biased towards the ranch dip, which didn’t disappoint. The ranch sauce is thick with average flavor. It’s a very good choice for satisfying anyone’s craving for fried cheese curds.

The main reason to go to Psycho Suzi’s – beyond killer curds and tater tots (favorite appetizer) – remains of course the pizza. We went for the Fastback which consists of artichokes, spinach, and tomatoes served with a white wine and garlic sauce. Finally, the service was great, and the staff having some of the best tat work of any dive in the Twin Cities provides good eye candy.

The Verdict: Psycho Suzi’s gets a 4 out of 5 curd gooey goodness rating

Cheese Curds 101

If you’re not from the Upper Midwest or Canada, you may not be familiar with cheese curds, either cold or fried. Turning to the authoritative source of everything, sure enough Wikipedia had something to say about cheese curds.

The Basics
“Cheese curds are the fresh curds of cheese, often cheddar. They are generally available in retail stores operated at cheese factories throughout the countries of Canada and the United States.”

In The Raw
“Cheese curds are little-known in locations without cheese factories, because they should ideally be eaten within hours of manufacture. Their flavor is mild with about the same firmness as cheese, but has a springy or rubbery texture. Fresh curds squeak against the teeth when bitten into, which some would say is their defining characteristic.”

In the raw, the squeak makes or breaks the curd experience. Having been raised by family from Sconnie country or the dairy state, I can tell you freshness is key to the quality and squeak. Even buying and tasting cold curds in Minneapolis that claim to have Wisconsin origins, they end up being dry, disappointing and squeakless. Nothing fresh or fun about dry curds.

On the other hand, traveling to Door County I fell in love with the curd trying different types from slightly salted to garlic and dill. It was a beautiful thing.

Fried Curds
“In Wisconsin, Minnesota, Upper Michigan, South Dakota, Northern Illinois, and Iowa, deep-fried cheese curds are often found at carnivals and fairs, and often local non-chain fast food restaurants and bars. Deep-fried cheese curds are covered with a batter, like that used for onion rings, or are breaded and placed in a deep fryer.”  

In Minnesota, whether it be a bar in Northeast Minneapolis, the state fair or at a St. Paul Saints game, fried curds are where it’s at.  Beer-battered crispy gooey goodness served piping hot with ranch dressing or other dip. It’s a heavenly delight to which the experience of even the best mozerella sticks pales by comparison.

Quest for Perfect Curds

If you stumbled across this blog, you’re no doubt wondering how did the search for the perfect fried cheese curd begin. Living in Minneapolis, which is only 30 minutes from Wisconsin, cheese curd Mecca, I have always had a strong affinity for both types of cheese curds – cold and fried.

My quest began as an answer to the question issued by a co-worker, who loved the fried cheese curds at the Minnesota State Fair and wondered aloud, “Where do I get good fried cheese curds in Minneapolis the other 50 weeks of the year?”

From our conversations, I can tell you that the perfect cheese curd is beer-battered and not breaded. Ideally it should be found in the upper Midwest, but beyond that I have an open mind. And, thus the quest begins.