And, I fly over 2000 miles to get this special squeaky cheese! OK. Well, I don't fly there JUST for the cheese, but I do make sure we make a trip to the Farm Country Cheese House whenever I'm visiting my family in Michigan. And that's where I find this wonderful audially-stimulating taste-treat! (yes, I realize "audially" is not really a word, but like the cheese, I like it!)
This is what squeaky cheese looks like, and it actually goes by the name of Cheese Curds. Yes, the same curds as in Miss Muffett's curds-and-whey. Cheese curds are actually cheese in its initial form before it is pressed into the familiar shapes we're all used to seeing--rectangles, squares, circles.
This cheese is made at the Farm Country Cheese House in Lakeview, Michigan. The cheese 'factory' is run by some of the Amish folks in the area. 
"Farm Country Cheese House broke ground in April of 1983 and started production in July of 1984. Since the beginning, the Amish communities in and around Lakeview, Michigan have supplied the milk and most of the labor required to process the cheese that we sell. We currently receive milk from approximately 97 Amish farmers who have an average of 6 to 15 cows per herd, which are milked twice daily by hand. " (from their website)
I don't know why the cheese squeaks. I don't think being made by the Amish has anything to do with it. Nor do I think it is because it is made from milk from Amish cows. Nor the hand-milking. But, I do like all of the above factors that go into the making of my squeaky cheese.
And, they not only have squeaky cheese, they also have over 20 other kinds of specialty cheeses from fennel to hot pepper jack to a delightfully unusual breakfast cheese with cinnamon. Mmmmm. (I'm getting hungry thinking about it!)
I will admit I had a little bit of an overweight-luggage issue at the airport as I was checking my bags to fly home... hmmm. Could it have been the six pounds of cheese I was carrying home to California??? Perhaps..... (Maybe I should have asked for a ride by horse and buggy instead?)
I was so curious when you say squeaky chesse,does it really make that kind of squeak sound? Probably you could record me a video on it :-) sound like fun!
ReplyDeleteI've never heard of such a thing, but now I'm so intrigued that I'm going to have to call and order some (I'm smiling now as I'm thinking how the kids will react).
ReplyDeleteBTW, my grandparents were Amish. A kinder, gentler people you will not find...
yes, Jessica, it really does squeak! it's weird! my co-worker could hear it when i was eating some right by her... she didn't quite dare to try it! :) (but it's not loud enough to record, i'm afraid!)
ReplyDeletehey, billy, thanks for stopping by! i'm sure enjoying your writing! the one key thing i discovered about the 'squeak' is that the cheese can't be cold or it doesn't squeak. and it generally has to be relatively fresh (within a few days). i ate mine at around room temp...fresh out of the fridge kills the squeakability, for some reason.
that's very cool to know about your g-parents being Amish. there are quite a few communities of them around where my mom lives in MI, and i grew up seeing the buggies tied up in our small towns.... just feels homey and sort of in-touch with a different time somehow.
I had squeaky cheese this summer at the Tillamook Cheese Factory. DELCIOUS!!!!
ReplyDelete;-)
=) I'm glad that you're sharing your fav things. Hope that things are getting better...
ReplyDeleteSqueaky cheese? That's very unusual to me. Is the texture rubbery? Ha, I'm intrigued!
michael- ah, yes, cheese! glorious cheese! where IS the Tillamook factory, anyway?!?!
ReplyDeletestardust- no, it's not really rubbery in texture. a bit shiny and ...well, ...squeaky! :)