Those chunks and blocks of cheddar, Colby and brick turned out en masse may preserve our No. 1 place among cheese-producing states. Production of specialty cheeses totaled 95 million pounds in 1994, the first year the state kept figures, and increased to 97.5 million pounds in 1995. In 1993 the Wisconsin Specialty Cheese Institute was founded to promote a profitable specialty cheese industry with a national reputation for quality and variety.
Variety is an understatement.
Consider just a partial list of specialty cheeses produced here, and you'll realize that imagination is a key ingredient. All the while, Wisconsin remains home to the country's only remaining maker of Limburger cheese, Chalet Cheese Co-op in Monroe. For the most part, these specialty cheeses were introduced by design, sometimes very calculated design. Specialty Cheese Co. Using U.S. Census data and consumer research, he determined there was a ripe market for Hispanic, Middle Eastern and Indian cheeses. As with most specialty cheese companies, Scharfman's products are sold nationwide.