CHARLOTTE, N.C. — This article involves commercial content. The products and services featured appear as paid advertising.
Whether hosting a backyard barbeque, a family reunion or formal dinner, Chef Salazer has partnered with Wisconsin Cheese to Welcome You to Wisconsin, because Wisconsin believes in the power of cheese to make the world a happier, tastier place, creating these bites to inspire you to discover your next favorite cheese pairing this May. “Wisconsin Cheese is indeed the Cheese State of the Country and it has estimated 600 varieties of cheeses” says Chef Salazar. She adds “here are just a small sample of the cheeses offered by Wisconsin Cheese.”
Aged Cheddar
We don’t shy away from sharpness, so we adore this been-around-the-block cheese for its full-flavor cheekiness. You see the life experience in its beautiful crystalline cracks and you taste it in its always complex and sometimes tangy flavor. This lower-moisture, often flaky cheddar is sometimes but not always clothbound. Any way you slice it (or not), live free, aged cheddar -- you’ve certainly done your time!
Juusstoleipa – Bread Cheese
First things first: this wildly original cheese that you most likely haven’t heard of is actually called juustoleipa and is pronounced hoo-stah-lee-pa in its native Scandinavia. It’s also commonly referred to as “bread cheese,” because of its light crust that’s, well, similar to toasted bread. Bread cheese was originally made from reindeer milk in northern Finland and Sweden. For real! Cows are slightly more common in Wisconsin, so we make this squeaky, buttery, slightly caramelized cheese from cow’s milk. Because juustoleipa has such low acidity, it doesn’t melt when heated. It just beautifully softens, so we love to bake or fry this conversation starter on a griddle, and serve it soft and slightly browned with honey, fruit and tasty brown breads.
Black Pepper BellaVitano
This Wisconsin original has won a trophy case full of national and international awards. It’s all nutty, fruity, cow's milk goodness up front. When it comes to texture, think young, creamy cheddar with the crystalline crunch of a premium farmstead parmesan. It’s often hand-rubbed or soaked with an array of flavors like Black Pepper, Espresso, Chai, Merlot, Citrus Ginger and many more. If you’re lucky enough to enjoy BellaVitano at your table, you’ve just corralled yourself a unique piece of time-honored Wisconsin culture. Savor it.
Feta
For many Americans, feta is their first foray into unfamiliar international cheese territory, beyond the cheddars, mozzarellas and American cheeses of their youth. Whether whole or crumbled, plastic wrapped or in a tub, feta cheese is a tart, salty and super tasty fresh cheese. On the Balkan Peninsula, where feta was born, and in Greece in particular, feta is made from either sheep or goat milk, because the hilly terrain there is where those animals thrive. In Wisconsin, we use cow’s milk for our feta, so it’s a touch less assertive, tart or gamy and a bit lighter. It’s also a whole heck of a lot fresher, since it doesn’t have to cross the Atlantic from Greece.
Learn ways to elevate your spring and summer gatherings with easy yet impressive pairings and bites using award-winning Wisconsin artisan cheese. Wisconsin has been making cheese longer than they’ve been a state and is the only place outside of Switzerland to offer a Master Cheesemakers Certification…like a PhD in cheese! For more great Cheeses and ideas visit WisconsinCheese.com.
From what’s trending to local restaurants, events and entertainment, you’ll find it all on this show.
Charlotte Today also features sponsored content by local and national businesses. Are you a business interested in advertising with us? Go to WCNC.com/advertise or call now (214) 977-6001
If you have a question for the Charlotte Today team, feel free to email them at charlottetoday@wcnc.com