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America's Melting Pot
Cheese Curds hero image coming soon
1900s-present - Wisconsin cheesemakers, tavern cooks, and state-fair fry cooks
A Wisconsin dairy-country snack of fresh cheddar curds, either eaten squeaky and fresh or battered and fried until crisp outside and molten inside.
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Difficulty
Moderate
Prep time
15 minutes
Cook time
15 minutes
Total time
30 minutes
Servings
6 servings
Region
Wisconsin and the Upper Midwest
Era introduced
1900s-present
Introduced by
Wisconsin cheesemakers, tavern cooks, and state-fair fry cooks
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Fresh cheese curds are young pieces of cheese separated from whey during cheesemaking, prized in Wisconsin for their clean dairy flavor and squeaky bite. Fried curds turn that dairy-country snack into tavern, festival, and state-fair food: a quick batter, hot oil, and curds that melt before the crust burns. The best version starts with very fresh curds.
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