Today is a different Wisconsin Wednesday. Instead of a true crime case which are always appropriate, I thought I would highlight the top foods that you have to try when in the Dairy State.
In no particular order here are the top foods you need to try when in Wisconsin:
- Cheese Curds – Wisconsinites consider cheese curds to be their own food group. There is not a bad time to have cheese curds. Cheese curds are always an acceptable gift for a housewarming, baby shower, or even a tail gate. Fresh or deep fried, they are delicious. When getting the fresh version buying them at the cheese factory is preferred, then you get the freshest, squeakiest, tastiest cheese. The more the squeak the better. And don’t worry if you aren’t sure where a cheese factory is, ask a local, they will surely direct you, provide the hours they are open, and the best flavors to purchase. Pizza curds anyone?
- Bratwurst – A strong German influence gives us these sausages. They can be boiled in beer, smothered in sauerkraut or even stuffed with gummy bears (It’s true, I’ve had one). Regardless of how you eat them a few things hold true: boiling them loses flavor, grilling is best, and if you add ketchup you need to be under 10 years old. Where I live, we have a shop that makes their own bratwurst and have over 30 different flavors, this is where the gummy bear brat was found. Again, find a place that makes their own and you will never go back to commercially made sausages again.
- Frozen Custard – Isn’t that ice cream? No, it is not. Frozen custard is creamier, denser and richer than plain old ice cream. You can find frozen custard around the state but when in the Milwaukee area you are going to want to go to Kopp’s for frozen custard. When you try it plain or with mix in’s you will never think of it as ice cream again, and you will want to come back often to get a cup of the good stuff.
- Kringle – The Wisconsin State Pastry is the Kringle. You won’t find a better one than out of Racine, WI. The original Danish Kringles were created in the late 1800’s and are round flaky pastries with a fruit filling and then an icing glazed on top. You can give a Kringle for a thank you, holiday, I’m sorry, or any occasion.
- Cream Puffs – Wisconsin holds the record for the largest cream puff weighing in at 125 pounds. What is a cream puff? The dough is called choux paste (pronounced shoo paste), and it’s made with flour, sugar, butter, eggs, but the difference is that it is a warm dough. It’s not room temperature or cold. After you bake the puffs, you can then fill them with whatever you like, a creamy filling is normal, but you can add fruit, chocolate or even savory flavors inside your puffs.
If you come to Wisconsin, it’s very possible that you could have all these tasty treats in one location, the Wisconsin State Fair. The food, bands, people, and beer are waiting!
Stay Weird Wisconsin!
Amateur Connoisseur 