6 Ways to Know if Your Squeaky Wisconsin Cheese Curd is Outstanding

I was born and raised in Madison, Wisconsin. Loving cheese is in my DNA. As a life-long fan it is my duty to keep substandard curds out of your mouth.

What makes a Cheese Curd Outstanding

If you're just a casual cheese curd eater and not a connoisseur, you may not notice some of the things that make a curd a little less than fabulous.

It's still cheese, so if you love cheese you may not even care that your curd has so much potential to be amazing.

There are cheese experts all over the world that can spend hours talking about all the things that go into making an outstanding curd. This isn't one of those times

This method to determining your curd's quality level has nothing to do with the type of cheese used or any of the flavors often used either, like dill, garlic or bacon. Flavors are too subjective.

You could love cheese curds but never have the courage to pop one of these in your mouth.

The World Championship Cheese Contest

The Wisconsin Cheese Makers Association started the competition in 1957. The 2022 contest just took place in Madison.

According this year's competition, the most outstanding cheese curds are made by Decatur Dairy Inc. in Broadhead, WI and Ellsworth Cooperative Creamery in Ellsworth, WI.

6 Ways to Know if Your Wisconsin Cheese Curd is Outstanding

Straight from the judges at this year's contest:

1. Free-flowing, individual globs of cheese should be easy enough to grab with your non-driving hand on the way home, not clumped together like Mount Curd.
2. Somewhat uniform curd size from the top of the bag to the bottom. The biggest size offenders are those little cheese crumbs (what a cheese judge calls "fines") at the bottom.
3. Dry curds scored better.
4. Flavors should be mild and clean with a hit of salt.
5. Added flavors should allow the cheese curds' curdiness to still come through.
6. And, yes, the best curds squeak.