Wisconsin cheese curds: America's best regional food?

Chris Wadsworth | 10Best.com

Folks from Wisconsin proudly go by the name Cheeseheads. Indeed, the state leads the nation in cheese-making, producing some 2.5 billion pounds of cheddars, mozzarellas, muensters and more a year.

So it's no wonder that a cheese by-product, little known outside of the Midwest, would be one of Wisconsin's very favorite homegrown dishes.

Behold the mighty cheese curd.

Simply put, cheese curds are little randomly shaped "nuggets" of cheese, usually cheddar. Cheesemakers at Wisconsin's many cheese factories process and press the curds into the more familiar "block" of cheese.

But somewhere along the line, someone got the brilliant idea to grab a handful of curds and chow down. They found them to be mild, a bit salty, completely delicious and – best of all – squeaky.

Yes, squeaky.

Turns out fresh cheese curds will squeak as you bite into them, something to do with your teeth breaking apart air pockets trapped in the cheese. These noisy noshes are a favorite snack around Wisconsin, especially at the state's many farmers' markets.

But the tale of the cheese curd doesn't end there.

As with the potato, the onion, and even the Twinkie, someone got the ever more brilliant idea to dip the cheese curds in batter and deep fry them. And a legend was born.

Today, deep fried cheese curds are a staple of thousands of Wisconsin diners, bowling alleys, supper clubs, and county fairs.

The crisp golden crust of a fried cheese curd crunches oh so pleasingly only to reveal a gooey center of melty cheese goodness.

And - in case you're wondering - Little Miss Muffet's famous curds were not cheese curds. Her tale is likely interpreted as a sad one in Wisconsin.

Are you a fan of Wisconsin cheese curds? Vote for it here, as your favorite iconic American food in the 10Best Readers' Choice Awards contest.