Cheese curds: 6 facts that you didn’t know about squeaky cheese
Are you familiar with cheese curds? These six facts will make you crave hose delectable, bites of squeaky cheese even more.
Have you had cheese curds? While the name might be sound a little funny, the taste of these little cheese nuggets will make you crave them. With the upcoming National Cheese Curd Day food holiday on October 15, it is the perfect time to rediscover these little bites of squeaky cheese.
What is a cheese curd? The Dairy Farmers of Wisconsin offer tons of facts about this type of cheese. Basically, it is young cheddar cheese. Cheese making is a long process. During the process, the curd is separated from the whey. These bites offer a delicious, milky flavor.
One of the reasons that people love a good cheese curd is because it squeaky. Yes, that telltale sound is a big characteristic of this food. The squeak comes from the protein in the cheese rubbing against your teeth. It sounds like a big scientific scenario, but it makes eating these cheese bites entertaining.
(Photo by Scott Olson/Getty Images)
Truthfully, that iconic squeak is extremely important. That squeak signifies that the cheese curd is fresh. If you don’t get a squeak when you bite into the curd, your favorite little snack isn’t fresh.
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Cheese curds are best enjoyed fresh. In reality, a cheese curd is best enjoyed within two days of its making. While that seems like a really short timeframe, it shows that freshness is imperative to great tasting curds.
Also, it is best to eat every curd in a package within two days of opening it. While you can restore a squeak by microwaving the curds, fresh is best.
While white and yellow cheddar tends to be the most widely available curd flavor, there are a wide variety of flavors available. Some companies make spicy flavors, like jalapeno. Even bacon fans can find some curds with the delicious smoky, pork flavor. More and more cheese makers are exploring flavor options.
Although Wisconsin might have a cheese curd option in every store, Culver’s is the unofficial cheese curd ambassador. At this restaurant, everyone can sample a yummy, fried bite of cheesy goodness. It might make you want to find other tastes of this cheddar goodness.
Lastly, a cheese curd is not a fried mozzarella stick. These two types of cheese are very, very different. Please never confuse the two (Wisconsin natives will be very, very disappointed).
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