At the local Valu Market, I have also seen Amish Country brand limburger cheese. This is not the spread - they have that too. I don't know if Amish Country takes Chalet's limburger and puts their own sticker on it - I normally buy the Chalet brand anyway, but I am game to try the Amish brand and see if it is any good.
Five Great Wisconsin Cheeses You’ve Never Heard of...Plus a Limburger.
Here is a repertoire of six lovely but little-known varieties of Wisconsin cheese.
By
Like a Cypriot halloúmi or an Indian paneer, this Finnish "bread cheese" doesn't melt when it's heated. Though it has a mild flavor and a pleasantly soft texture that is reminiscent of mozzarella's, Juustoleipa's salty kick sets it apart. The outside of the cheese, which is slightly browned from being broiled during production, retains a nutty taste that is delicious. Production of Juustoleipa has boomed in recent years, with makers such as Carr Valley expanding their distribution throughout Wisconsin and beyond the state borders.
The "haute" potential of this washed-rind cheese is strong but little tapped. Yes, at a certain age it does begin to smell...well, like feet, but what's rarely acknowledged about limburger is the complexity of its life cycle. As it ages, the bacteria in the cheese consume its proteins and convert them to ammonia, making it progressively softer and more odoriferous. At one to two months, limburger has the crumbly, chalky freshness of feta; at three to four months, it grows softer and more flavorful, like a brie or a camembert; and only at five to six months does it slump into the gooey, rank condition for which it has become notorious.
Myron Olson at Chalet Co-Op (the last maker of limburger in North America) reports that one Chicago restaurateur recently put "limburger dumplings" on her menu. They were a flop. In desperation, she changed the name to "dumplings with surface-ripened cheese". She sold a boatload. Sometimes image is key.
James Norton and Becca Dilley are the authors of the forthcoming book The Master Cheesemakers of Wisconsin (University of Wisconsin Press, 2009), which details the lives, times, and cheeses of more than 40 of the state's best cheese makers. For more information on their book go to www.mastercheesemakerbook.com.
