Food and drinks from Wisconsin
"
Cheesehead
" fans of the
Green Bay Packers
with bratwursts
The
cuisine of Wisconsin
is a type of
Midwestern cuisine
found throughout the state of
Wisconsin
in the United States of America. Known as "America's Dairyland",
[1]
Wisconsin is famous for its cheese as well as other dairy products, such as
cheese curds
and
frozen custard
. Other notable foods common to the region include
bratwursts
, beer, brandy
Old Fashioned
cocktails,
butter burgers
,
fish fries
and
fish boils
,
cranberries
, and
booyah stew
.
Dairy
[
edit
]
Cheese and cheese products
[
edit
]
Fried
cheese curds
The state is well known as a home to many
cheesemakers
. Currently, Wisconsin has 58 Master Cheesemakers, who are all qualified through an extensive process set by the Wisconsin Milk Marketing Board.
[2]
The program is the only one of its kind outside of Europe. Wisconsin cheesemaking is diverse, ranging from artisans who hand-craft their product from the milk of their own dairy herds to large factories.
Colby cheese
was first created in Wisconsin in 1885 (named after the
town
it came from), and
Brick cheese
was first created in the state in 1877. The state has also played origin to Blue Marble Jack cheese, and is the only producer of
Limburger cheese
in the United States.
Cheese curds
can be eaten separately "squeaky," or cold, as a snack, or covered in batter and fried as an appetizer, often served with ranch dressing as a dipping sauce.
Hot and spicy cheese bread
is a popular type of bread created and sold in
Madison, Wisconsin
from Stella's Bakery.
Ice cream and frozen custard
[
edit
]
Wisconsin is one of the Midwestern states that commonly sells
blue moon ice cream
. The flavor is described to be similar to
Froot Loops
. While the flavor's origins are not well documented, it was most likely developed by flavor chemist Bill "Doc" Sidon of Milwaukee.
At the
University of Wisconsin?Madison
, Babcock Dairy Plant and Store produces and sells ice cream, milk, and cheese products on campus.
[3]
Babcock ice cream uses beef gelatin as its stabilizing agent, making the majority of its flavors non-vegetarian.
[4]
Scratch Ice Cream is a small-batch brand of ice cream founded in Milwaukee.
[5]
Scratch Ice Cream can also be found in Madison, Wisconsin and
Chicago, Illinois
.
Wisconsin is home to numerous
frozen custard
stands, particularly around
Milwaukee, Wisconsin
and along the Lake Michigan corridor. Frozen custard is a dessert similar to ice cream that is also made with eggs.
Alcohol
[
edit
]
RumChata
was invented in
Pewaukee, Wisconsin
Beer
[
edit
]
Platter of
fish boil
, which is traditionally served in
Door County
Besides its "
cheesehead
" status, Wisconsin has a reputation for alcohol consumption. Common traits of "drinking culture" are embedded in Wisconsin traditions, from festivals and holidays to everyday life. Many large breweries were founded in Wisconsin, largely in Milwaukee, which gained the epithet "Brew City" before the turn of the century.
Miller Brewing Company
,
Pabst Brewing Company
,
Joseph Schlitz Brewing Company
(all from and originally based in Milwaukee) and
Jacob Leinenkugel Brewing Company
all began as local businesses before entering the national and international markets.
Wisconsin has experienced a resurgence in this industry, however, with numerous microbreweries and craft beers now being created and exported. Several other favorites include Ale Asylum,
[6]
Capital
,
Sprecher
, and
New Glarus
, the latter being well known for the Spotted Cow Farmhouse Ale. New Glarus is also known for refusing to sell their liquor outside of Wisconsin, which was originally to meet demand but has since become a marketing tactic.
[7]
Cooking with beer is also common across the state. Wisconsinites boil or braise their sausages (especially
bratwursts
) in several types of beer (most often a
Pilsner
) with butter and onions, and
beer batter
fish, typically
walleye
or
perch
. Beer-battered
cheese curds
and
onion rings
are also typical fare.
Beer cheese soup
is usually made from a variety of beer and a sharp
cheddar
or more mild
colby cheese
, with sausage, potatoes, and green onions.
Another recipe involving alcohol is "beer butt" or "beer can" chicken (similar to
drunken chicken
), a vernacular meal involving a whole chicken slow-roasted, typically over a fire, with a can of usually amber beer directly inserted into the poultry's cavity.
Other
[
edit
]
Besides beer, Wisconsinites also drink large quantities of
brandy
,
[8]
often mixed into the unique Badger libation, the "brandy
Old Fashioned
," which can be sweet, sour, or press. Another though considerably more recent brandy-based cocktail is the Wisconsin Badger,
[9]
derived from a mix of brandy, cranberry juice, and cherry schnapps.
Pewaukee, Wisconsin
is also home to the alcoholic beverage
RumChata
, described as an
horchata
recipe containing the primary ingredients of
rum
and Wisconsin cream.
Bratwurst and sausage
[
edit
]
Wisconsin cuisine also features a large amount of sausage, or
wurst
(German for "sausage"). The state is also a major producer and consumer of
summer sausage
, as well as the nation's top producer and consumer of
brats
.
Brats are typically boiled in a mix of beer, butter, and onions, served on a bratwurst bun, and topped with
sauerkraut
and often a spicy, brown-style mustard. The city of
Madison, Wisconsin
, the state's capital, plays host to the annual "World's Largest"
Brat Fest
, a four-day-long festival incorporating music, recreational activities, and bratwursts grilled on a 65-foot-long grill.
The
American Family Field
in Milwaukee has the
Sausage Race
, a mascot race involving racing sausage mascots representative of some of the most common sausages found in the state:
bratwurst
,
kielbasa
,
Italian sausage
, the
hot dog
, and
chorizo
. Venison sausage,
Andouille sausage
, and Belgian
trippe
(pork and cabbage sausage) are a few other common sausages found in the state, though they do not constitute a part of the Sausage Race. American Family Field is also notable for being the only U.S. stadium in which brats outsell
hot dogs
.
Booyah
[
edit
]
Booyah
seasoned with
peas
, granulated
vegetables
and
chicken
Booyah
is another common Wisconsin meal, found especially in the Northeast region of the state. The origins of this dish are disputed, but the Wisconsin origin contends that the word is a vernacular Flemish or Walloon Belgian spelling of the French word
bouillon
, in this context meaning "broth." Recipes vary but common ingredients usually involve chicken or other meats?beef, pork, or
ox tail
are most often used?as well as a mirepoix of vegetables, commonly onion, celery, carrots, cabbage, peas, potatoes, and rutabaga. The ingredients are all cooked together in a special kind of large, cast-iron kettle often known as a "booyah kettle," over low heat for several days.
Fish fry and fish boil
[
edit
]
The Friday night
fish fry
, often battered and fried
perch
or
walleye
, is traditional throughout
Wisconsin
, while in northeast Wisconsin along
Lake Michigan
and the
Door County
the
fish boil
is more popular. The
supper club
is another common phenomenon of Wisconsin culinary heritage and often a destination for fish frys, which usually feature a portion of aforementioned fish, along with various sides: a fried food such as french fries and onion rings are common, potato pancakes served with applesauce, along with condiments of tartar sauce and
cole slaw
(especially crimson slaw, a variety of cole slaw that incorporates Wisconsin's cranberries
[10]
) and garnishes of parsley and lemon wedges.
Dessert
[
edit
]
Kringle
, the official state pastry
A popular Wisconsin dessert is the
cream puff
, a type of profiterole that is a famous treat at the
Wisconsin State Fair
.
The southeastern Wisconsin city of
Racine
is known for its
Danish
kringle
, a sweet flaky pastry often served as a dessert. The recipe was brought by Danish immigrants to the region in the 1800s.
[11]
The kringle became the official state pastry of
Wisconsin
on June 30, 2013.
[12]
Chef
Carson Gulley
created a
fudge
-bottom pie recipe at the
University of Wisconsin?Madison
that is still sold on campus.
[13]
Simply Cinnamon Bakery in
Pewaukee, Wisconsin
is known for their
cinnamon rolls
.
Other
[
edit
]
Culver's
butter burger
Seymour, Wisconsin
, claims to be the birthplace of the modern hamburger,
[14]
although several other locations make similar claims. The
butter burger
originated in Wisconsin, most likely in
Solly's Grille
in Milwaukee.
[15]
Butter burgers are hamburgers with butter spread on the buns.
Culver's
is a midwestern
fast casual food restaurant chain
originally from
Sauk City, Wisconsin
and currently headquartered in
Prairie du Sac, Wisconsin
. Culver's is known for serving butter burgers, fried cheese curds, and frozen custard.
Dane County Farmers' Market
in Madison is the largest producers-only farmer's market in the nation.
[16]
[17]
La Croix Sparkling Water
originates from
La Crosse, Wisconsin
.
Wild rice
grows in Wisconsin, and is an important staple especially for Native American tribes such as the
Menominee
.
Wisconsin is the country's leading producer of
cranberries
, which is also the state's official fruit.
[18]
Cannibal sandwiches?a type of open-faced sandwich made with rye bread, raw beef, and raw onion?are commonly eaten during the winter season in and around Milwaukee.
[19]
See also
[
edit
]
References
[
edit
]
- ^
"The Dairy State"
.
Wisconsin Historical Society
. Retrieved
25 July
2019
.
- ^
"Dairy Farmers of Wisconsin | WisconsinDairy.org - Dairy Farmers of Wisconsin"
.
www.wisconsindairy.org
. Retrieved
2021-03-23
.
- ^
"Home Page"
.
Babcock Dairy Store
. Retrieved
2021-03-23
.
- ^
Meyerhofer, Kelly.
"UW-Madison's controversial Babcock ice cream measure has led to some changes"
.
madison.com
. Wisconsin State Journal
. Retrieved
6 November
2020
.
- ^
Anderegg, Brandon (27 March 2020).
"Jump Start: Scratch Ice Cream grows production, eyes new locations"
.
BizTimes - Milwaukee Business News
. Retrieved
16 September
2020
.
- ^
"Ale Asylum"
.
www.aleasylum.com
. Retrieved
2021-03-23
.
- ^
Rotman, Audrey.
"Explained: Why New Glarus beer is only sold in Wisconsin"
.
608 Today
. Retrieved
23 May
2024
.
- ^
"OnMilwaukee.com Bars & Clubs: Wisconsinites' love affair with brandy"
.
OnMilwaukee.com
. Retrieved
16 July
2015
.
- ^
"Go Bucky! Wisconsin Badger drink recipe"
.
Bartender 608, LLC
. Retrieved
2021-03-23
.
- ^
"Crimson Slaw"
.
Midwest Living
. Retrieved
2021-03-24
.
- ^
"Wisconsin State Pastry - Kringle"
.
statesymbolsusa.org
. Retrieved
6 November
2020
.
- ^
"Kringle becomes Wisconsin state pastry"
.
WTMJ
, July 1, 2013. Accessed July 26, 2013.
- ^
"Fudge Bottom Pie"
.
University Housing
. University of Wisconsin-Madison. 1 June 2018
. Retrieved
6 November
2020
.
- ^
"Welcome to The Home of the Hamburger - Seymour, WI"
.
homeofthehamburger.org
. Retrieved
16 July
2015
.
- ^
Christenson, Ann (2 October 2020).
"Your Guide to Finding the Best Burger in Milwaukee"
.
Milwaukee Magazine
. Retrieved
6 November
2020
.
- ^
Reidy, Kiyoko (11 November 2015).
"Public market gets green light from Madison City Council"
.
The Badger Herald
. Archived from
the original
on 8 August 2016
. Retrieved
8 August
2016
.
The Dane County Farmers' Market is the largest producers-only farmers' market in the country, with additional markets around the county nearly every day of the week, Kemble said.
- ^
Wax, Emily (24 August 2012).
"The Impulsive Traveler: In Wisconsin, supper clubs make a comeback"
.
The Washington Post
. Retrieved
8 August
2016
.
Beyond the supper clubs, one highlight of our trip that surprised me was the epic Saturday Dane County farmers market, which stretches for blocks around the capitol. It's said to be the largest producers-only farmers market ? meaning that all items must be produced locally ? in the country.
- ^
"About Cranberries | Wisconsin State Cranberry Growers Association"
.
www.wiscran.org
. Retrieved
2 January
2023
.
- ^
McCoy, Mary Kate (28 March 2019).
"Cannibal Sandwiches: A Polarizing And Misunderstood Wisconsin Tradition"
.
Wisconsin Public Radio
. Retrieved
8 January
2023
.
|
---|
Historical
| |
---|
Regional
| |
---|
Ethnic
| |
---|
List articles
| |
---|
Miscellaneous
| |
---|
Drinks
| |
---|
|