Cheeses from the Babcock Hall Dairy Store
Baby Swiss
In the mid-nineteenth century, Swiss immigrants made the first Swiss-style cheese in America. Baby Swiss is made from part-skim milk and is a naturally lower fat cheese. It is a curd pressed cheese with a dense, smooth, elastic texture, a mild, nutty, sweet flavor, and characteristic "eyes" that are formed by gases during ripening. Baby Swiss melts well, slices and shreds easily for salads, sandwiches, and casseroles, and blends well with other cheeses.
Brick
Brick is a Wisconsin invention, developed in Dodge County and named for its shape. It is a cooked curd cheese with a soft, smooth, pliable, open texture with small holes, and a mild, sweet flavor. Brick melts well, slices easily for sandwiches, and complements most other ingredients.
Cheddar
Mild, Medium, Aged, Sharp Aged, Jalapeno, Smoked Aged, and New Medium Cheddar Motion W in Red Wax
The most widely made and consumed cheese in the world originates from the village of Cheddar in Somerset, England, and dates back to at least the 1500s. It has been made in America since colonial times. It is a cooked curd, cheddared, and pressed cheese with a firm, tight texture, and varies from a mild to sharp flavor with age. Cheddar melts well, slices easily when young, crumbles when older, and combines well with other cheeses.
Colby and Monterey Jack with Chives
Another native Wisconsin cheese, Colby was developed in the late 1800s in Colby, Wisconsin. Colby and Monterey Jack are cooked, rinsed, and pressed curd cheeses with a semi-firm, open texture, and a mild, sweet flavor. They are similar to mild Cheddar in texture and flavor. Colby and Monterey Jack melt well, slice easily for sandwiches, and combine well with other cheeses.
Juustoleipa
Classic and Jalapeno
Juustoleipa is a specialty cheese native to Finland and Lapland. In Finnish, juusto means cheese and Juustoleipa roughly translates to "bread cheese" because the baking process produces a browned, crusty surface. Juustoleipa can be stored in the refrigerator for several weeks or frozen for months. It is best when warmed in the oven, or briefly in the microwave, and served with honey, jam, or salsa.
Holland Style Gouda and Wisconsin Dutch Käse
Gouda originated at least 800 years ago in the town of Gouda, near Rotterdam, in Holland. The curds are cooked and pressed twice to form a semi-soft, supple cheese. It differs from domestic Gouda in that it develops eyes while curing. It is smooth and creamy with a mild, light, buttery, somewhat nutty taste. It melts smoothly and works well in soups, casseroles, and open-faced sandwiches. Wisconsin Dutch Käse is our Holland Style Gouda shelf cured for 18 months to a firm texture and distinct full flavor, the quintessential table cheese.
Romano
Pecorino Romano cheese, made from whole sheep's milk curdled with lamb's rennet, was first imported to the United States from Italy in 1894. Our Romano is made from part-skim cow's milk and is a naturally lower fat cheese. It is brined for 14 days and cured for a minimum of one year. Romano has an extra-hard body, which is crumbly and flaky, and a sharp flavor. It is an excellent choice for grating or shaving on salads, soups, and sauces.
Wisconsin Style Havarti
Classic, Dill, and Pesto
Wisconsin Style Havarti was developed right here at the University of Wisconsin-Madison in the 1980s. It is a cooked curd cheese with a soft, creamy, open texture with tiny holes, and a mild, buttery flavor. Wisconsin Style Havarti is an excellent melting cheese, wonderful on a pizza or a sandwich, or in casseroles and fondues.