It is hard to deny Wisconsin’s love of cheese. Its nickname is "America’s Dairyland," it produce more cheese than any other state, and Wisconsin is home to some of the most award-winning cheesemakers in the world.
Many of these creameries are featured in Wisconsin Cheese Cookbook, which takes a deep dive into the state’s rich dairy history and highlights recipes from creameries throughout Wisconsin. Kristine Hansen, the author of the cookbook, says there is one culture, in particular, that had a disproportionate impact on the state's dairy heritage: the Swiss.
"If you look at a lot of the cheesemakers, particularly in Green County and the Monroe area, they are now maybe on their third or fourth generation of [cheesemakers], but they learned those skills from their ancestors who came from Switzerland. So, we can thank Switzerland for all of our wonderful cheese today," she says.
