Food Network Says This Is Wisconsin’s Best Cheese—Do You Agree?

In Wisconsin, picking the best cheese is like picking your favorite kid: impossible, a little unfair, and guaranteed to start a fight at the supper club. But that didn't stop Food Network from declaring one cheese the best in the entire state... and let's just say, as a Wisconsin native, I have thoughts.

The Cheese Standard Is Ridiculously High Here

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Cheese isn’t just food in Wisconsin—it's culture. It's identity. It’s something you buy by the block at Kwik Trip and serve at weddings, funerals, and everything in between. We’ve got cave-aged, hand-washed, raw-milk masterpieces crafted by fifth-generation cheesemakers, and yet somehow, we’re supposed to pick just one?

READ MORE: 10 Reasons Wisconsin Will Fight You Over Kwik Trip Food

Respect Where It’s Due

Food Network’s top Wisconsin cheese pick is... Colby. It isn’t some new trend. It’s been around since 1885, when a guy named Joseph F. Steinwand invented a mild, sweet, buttery cheese that became a Midwest staple. This cheese once won best in the world back in 1982 (thanks to Hook’s Cheese Company), and another Wisconsin maker—Deer Creek—still produces a version named after the state bird. Colby deserves respect, no doubt.

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But Here's the Thing...

If we're talking best cheese in Wisconsin, my vote goes to whatever is being stuffed inside the nearest deep-fried curd. Because when it's hot, melty, and fresh from the fryer, nothing beats it. Sorry, Colby. You're great, but you're not squeaky and golden.

Next time you're in Wisconsin, try Colby, but chase it with a basket of fried curds, a brandy Old-Fashioned, and decide for yourself.

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