Late this summer we will be served a slice of Heaven when Green County Cheese Days arrives, Sept. 14-16.
Still going strong after 100 years, the event is held the third weekend in September on even years.
Cheese Days is all about cheese, but many of our county's other unique food products and old world traditions are shared. You can get an overview of Cheese Days online at www.cheesedays.com.
Cheese Days was started in 1914 when local entrepreneurs noticed a town in Illinois had planned a festival featuring sauerkraut. According to the Green County Cheese Days website, the local businessmen thought "a celebration based on cheese would be an even better idea."
Cheese Days is held at Monroe's historic downtown Square. It's a giant celebration of culture, togetherness and cheese. Events begin on Friday at 10 a.m. and the last scheduled event is Sunday at 5 p.m. In between are more than 100 scheduled events from entertainment to tours. There is plenty of cheese tasting. Locally made beers, other adult beverages and non-alcoholic beverages are available. There's a lot more food than just cheese. I have an appreciation for all food, hence my size, but during Cheese Days, cheese is king.
I'm so lucky to be here because cheese has always been my favorite food. My taste buds, which once thought American cheese was the best, now appreciate sharpness and long-lasting flavor in different cheeses. I used to love macaroni and cheese with powdered cheese. Now I like my macaroni and cheese mixed with blue cheese, feta or best yet, a combination of freshly ground parmesan, cheddar and a dab of garlic butter.
I'm not an expert when it comes to varieties or the complexities of cheese. To me it's all about taste and texture. I'm not afraid of aroma.
The flip side of eating cheese is making it. There is a Wisconsin Master Cheesemaker Program - the only program of its kind in the United States - that puts an already experienced cheesemaker through an advanced education to help them learn the "unparalleled standards of Wisconsin cheesemaking." The program is sponsored by the University of Wisconsin-Extension, the Wisconsin Milk Marketing Board and the Wisconsin Center for Dairy Research. The center has a lot of information on its program online at www.cdr.wisc.edu/mastercheesemaker.
There is a great deal of tradition when it comes to cheesemaking in Wisconsin. Green County's cheesemakers have been among the cream of the crop of those who've developed and practiced key techniques for making certain types of cheeses.
There are more than a dozen creameries in our county of 37,000 residents, which produce more than 50 varieties of cheese. According to Green County's website on tourism, the county's unique cheeses include Limburger and "big wheel Swiss." Chalet Cheese Company in Monroe is the only domestic maker of Limburger. Edelweiss Creamery in Monticello is the only factory in the United States making 180-pound wheels of Old World Emmenthaler.
Each creamery puts its best spin on the cheese it makes. Each cheesemaker has developed techniques unique to them. No two vats of cheese are exactly alike.
Cheese Days has its own mascot - "Wedgie." Shaped as a happy wedge of Swiss Cheese, the biography for Wedgie according to the Cheese Days website said, "Wedgie was born in Emmental, Switzerland, and was imported to the United States in 2012. He is a graduate of Monroe High School ('Go Cheesemakers!') The Monroe Optimist Deep Fried Cheese Curds are his favorite snack; he enjoys reading cookbooks (fondue, anyone?) and watching the Cooking Channel."
Swiss Colony (Colony Brands) is the sponsor of the annual Cheese Days parade, held on Sunday of the event. The parade begins at the Green County Fairgrounds at 12:30 p.m.
The parade is huge. People can purchase reserved seating prior to the event on Monroe's Square. Because several streets are closed due to the celebration, getting into position to watch the parade can be difficult, so attendees are asked to find their seats early. That said, it's one of Wisconsin's truly great parades.
There's also a children's parade held Friday at 5:30 p.m., with the march launching from Monroe Middle School.
Featured throughout the festival are Cheese Day royalty, including an ambassador and a king and queen. Many other area royal courts participate in the parade. It's a showcase of local businesses, civic groups, cheese-industry members and the community as a whole.
Cheese is made from milk, and those who want to participate in the origin of cheesemaking can join in the cow milking contest. Preregistration is required with information available on the Cheese Days website.
With the warmer weather on Monday and Tuesday, it seems like Cheese Days is just around the corner, and I'm certain to the committee and volunteers who organize the festival, time is precious. There will be many area festivals and parades before Cheese Days arrives. However, it's good to think about this year's event in advance to get those taste buds warmed up for some of the best cheese the world has to offer.
- Matt Johnson is publisher of the Monroe Times. His column is published Wednesdays.
Still going strong after 100 years, the event is held the third weekend in September on even years.
Cheese Days is all about cheese, but many of our county's other unique food products and old world traditions are shared. You can get an overview of Cheese Days online at www.cheesedays.com.
Cheese Days was started in 1914 when local entrepreneurs noticed a town in Illinois had planned a festival featuring sauerkraut. According to the Green County Cheese Days website, the local businessmen thought "a celebration based on cheese would be an even better idea."
Cheese Days is held at Monroe's historic downtown Square. It's a giant celebration of culture, togetherness and cheese. Events begin on Friday at 10 a.m. and the last scheduled event is Sunday at 5 p.m. In between are more than 100 scheduled events from entertainment to tours. There is plenty of cheese tasting. Locally made beers, other adult beverages and non-alcoholic beverages are available. There's a lot more food than just cheese. I have an appreciation for all food, hence my size, but during Cheese Days, cheese is king.
I'm so lucky to be here because cheese has always been my favorite food. My taste buds, which once thought American cheese was the best, now appreciate sharpness and long-lasting flavor in different cheeses. I used to love macaroni and cheese with powdered cheese. Now I like my macaroni and cheese mixed with blue cheese, feta or best yet, a combination of freshly ground parmesan, cheddar and a dab of garlic butter.
I'm not an expert when it comes to varieties or the complexities of cheese. To me it's all about taste and texture. I'm not afraid of aroma.
The flip side of eating cheese is making it. There is a Wisconsin Master Cheesemaker Program - the only program of its kind in the United States - that puts an already experienced cheesemaker through an advanced education to help them learn the "unparalleled standards of Wisconsin cheesemaking." The program is sponsored by the University of Wisconsin-Extension, the Wisconsin Milk Marketing Board and the Wisconsin Center for Dairy Research. The center has a lot of information on its program online at www.cdr.wisc.edu/mastercheesemaker.
There is a great deal of tradition when it comes to cheesemaking in Wisconsin. Green County's cheesemakers have been among the cream of the crop of those who've developed and practiced key techniques for making certain types of cheeses.
There are more than a dozen creameries in our county of 37,000 residents, which produce more than 50 varieties of cheese. According to Green County's website on tourism, the county's unique cheeses include Limburger and "big wheel Swiss." Chalet Cheese Company in Monroe is the only domestic maker of Limburger. Edelweiss Creamery in Monticello is the only factory in the United States making 180-pound wheels of Old World Emmenthaler.
Each creamery puts its best spin on the cheese it makes. Each cheesemaker has developed techniques unique to them. No two vats of cheese are exactly alike.
Cheese Days has its own mascot - "Wedgie." Shaped as a happy wedge of Swiss Cheese, the biography for Wedgie according to the Cheese Days website said, "Wedgie was born in Emmental, Switzerland, and was imported to the United States in 2012. He is a graduate of Monroe High School ('Go Cheesemakers!') The Monroe Optimist Deep Fried Cheese Curds are his favorite snack; he enjoys reading cookbooks (fondue, anyone?) and watching the Cooking Channel."
Swiss Colony (Colony Brands) is the sponsor of the annual Cheese Days parade, held on Sunday of the event. The parade begins at the Green County Fairgrounds at 12:30 p.m.
The parade is huge. People can purchase reserved seating prior to the event on Monroe's Square. Because several streets are closed due to the celebration, getting into position to watch the parade can be difficult, so attendees are asked to find their seats early. That said, it's one of Wisconsin's truly great parades.
There's also a children's parade held Friday at 5:30 p.m., with the march launching from Monroe Middle School.
Featured throughout the festival are Cheese Day royalty, including an ambassador and a king and queen. Many other area royal courts participate in the parade. It's a showcase of local businesses, civic groups, cheese-industry members and the community as a whole.
Cheese is made from milk, and those who want to participate in the origin of cheesemaking can join in the cow milking contest. Preregistration is required with information available on the Cheese Days website.
With the warmer weather on Monday and Tuesday, it seems like Cheese Days is just around the corner, and I'm certain to the committee and volunteers who organize the festival, time is precious. There will be many area festivals and parades before Cheese Days arrives. However, it's good to think about this year's event in advance to get those taste buds warmed up for some of the best cheese the world has to offer.
- Matt Johnson is publisher of the Monroe Times. His column is published Wednesdays.
