Talk:Cheese curd

Tasty, tasty, tasty
I removed this:
 * Curds are tasty, tasty, tasty. All Wisconsinites develop a lifelong craving for them at an early age.

I think it's a little too subjective. If it could be sourced (if a similar statement could be attributed to a writer, newspaper columnist, famous person, etc.) it could go back. Not that they aren't tasty. Dpbsmith (talk) 14:16, 10 Feb 2005 (UTC)

A&W status?
User:FunkyChicken! recently added:


 * In the United States, cheese curds are available at A&W Restaurants nationwide.

I am slightly skeptical. I don't know of any A&W's nearby but will be on the lookout.

Has FunkyChicken! seen them in an A&W outside WIsconsin? Has anyone actually tried them?

I am troubled by these things:


 * Despite the announcement, they are not listed anywhere in the Menus section that I can find; for example, not at sides.
 * I would like clarification of whether these are cheese curds, or fried cheese curds. (I suspect the latter).
 * And, I would like someone who has actually tried them to report on whether or not they have any true cheese curd characteristics (e.g. squeak), as I do not see how A&W could possibly have solved the shipping problems. They do not mention any special techniques used. Dpbsmith (talk) 14:48, 30 July 2005 (UTC)


 * I have had the cheese curds outside of Wisconsin at A&W's in California, Maryland, Virginia, New York and New Jersey. The press release said they were a nationwide addition.
 * They are fried cheese curds, and I changed that in the article.
 * They are as close as you can get to fried cheese curds outside of Wisconsin and do have a bit of the squeak. They are white cheddar, unlike what I am used to in Wisconsin, they are also a bit smaller. My guess is they are flash frozen and shipped akin methods used for mozzarella sticks.
 * If you want to find an A&W near you, check their store locator. FunkyChicken! 19:50, July 31, 2005 (UTC)


 * Thanks for the personal confirmation. Dpbsmith (talk) 23:59, 31 July 2005 (UTC)
 * Not a problem, and several other displaced Cheeseheads I know have reported to me that they have found them at A&Ws in their neck of the woods and they are not bad for that craving in a pinch! FunkyChicken! 04:43, August 1, 2005 (UTC)


 * I just made a six-mile pilgrimage to Stoughton, Massachusetts on a quest for an A&W. I have never had fried cheese curds so cannot say how they compare to fried cheese curds in Wisconsin. But I was greatly disappointed. Frankly, you could have told me they were mozzarella sticks and apart from the shape I wouldn't have known the difference. As you note, the cheese is white, which surprised me as all the (fresh) cheese curds I've had in Wisconsin were orange. The shape was ball-like, rather than peanut-like. And the taste was just that of mild, grocery-store cheddar cheese; no "fresh cheese curd" character that I could detect at all. Oh, and they cost a small fortune: $2.99 for a package about the size of small McDonald's fries. Maybe yours squeaked; mine certainly did not. But at any rate I can confirm that it does indeed seem to be a nationalwide menu item. (I bet: not for long.) Dpbsmith (talk) 21:58, 8 August 2005 (UTC)


 * Fried cheese curds don't squeak... but the best cheese curds are in Dyckesville, WI.

They are NOT a Wisconsin-only food
Contrary to the apparent belief of its residents, cheese actually is manufactured in (U.S.) places other than Wisconsin. (Gasp!) I know, I know, what a horrid thing to say--but it's true. Sunnyside, Washington, for one. Every time I'm passing through the area (a couple times a year, maybe), I stop by the Darigold factory and pick up some fresh cheese curds. Yellow, squeaky, and insanely good. Because of my city's proximity to Sunnyside, we can actually buy curds at a couple of spots in town. (They're not quite as good as the ones purchased at the source, but still decent.)

Long story made short (too late!), the article is getting a factual makeover. Matt Yeager 23:15, 4 November 2005 (UTC)


 * Ridiculous. Next you'll be claiming that New York produces more dairy products than Wisconsin, or some such absurdity... Dpbsmith (talk) 23:33, 4 November 2005 (UTC)

I assumed everybody knew how good cheese curds were. But then last year a friend from Iowa said he never even heard of them, and he was a chef by trade. So at the age of 30 I started to think cheese curds were like the word "bubbler", in use only in state (In actuality this concept is incorrect also, as it is actually in usage in either New Hampshire or Vermont). OH, cheese. I thought you said "cheese curds". Duh, Wisconsin people don't believe cheese is only here. It is also in Vermont. 67.53.78.15 16:18, 4 August 2007 (UTC)

Notable locations of cheese curds?
So, I grew up in WI, and yea, cheese curds are great. Whenever I go up there, or relatives come down here, they bring cheese curds along with them at my request lol. So, where are some cheese factories that distribute cheese curds? Any reasoning why they aren't "big" in other parts of the U.S.?


 * They have to be fresh and that means they are really only available at cheese factories. That probably accounts for the geographical distribution. I tried some fried cheese curds at the local A&W in Canton, Massachusetts and you couldn't tell the difference between them and mozzarella sticks. Tasteless. And they were very pricey, $3.95 for a little container the size of a small order French fries. Dpbsmith (talk) 03:31, 18 January 2006 (UTC)

Is the St-Albert (Ontario) yearly Curd Festival notable? You can find info on it at CurdFestival.com - it's next weekend (August 17-18-19) and multiple different flavours and types of cheese curds are available for trial, as well as a wine-and-cheese-curds shindig. I'm obviously going to try it out this year, but I'm wondering if it's really encyclopedic... redlion 01:22, 16 August 2007 (UTC)


 * It's not notable unless you can find reliable secondary sources for it. Otherwise it's just advertizing for a small, local festival, which isn't encyclopedic.--Boffob 04:33, 16 August 2007 (UTC)


 * That's what I thought... although I don't know of any other celebration of The Cheese Curd, anywhere - so, if only for that, it might deserve a mention. Anyways, I'm definitely going this year (for the first time) and I'll take a bunch of pictures. At least then we could have decent pics of white cheese curds, and my 6h-round-trip there won't have been for naught. 74.56.173.49 12:53, 16 August 2007 (UTC)

I just wanted to add that fresh of the day cheese curds are sold in most grocery stores in Quebec. They are, in many cases, produced specifically to be sold as cheese curds (and are either eaten as such or included in poutine). So I guess it is possible to distribute them over fairly large areas. But the thought of eating squeaky goey cheese seems to repulse many Canadians I have met from Western provinces, so maybe there won't be a demand for it in places where people are used to them. 129.215.113.29 (talk) 13:49, 14 September 2010 (UTC)

pix
I got a coupla shots of cheese curds and finally uploaded them... I put one of them in the article, but it's not the highest quality image ever made. I'll try to do better next time I gots curd. These are the images:

Tom e rtalk 03:11, 1 February 2006 (UTC)


 * Those photos are, simply, unacceptable. They're poorly lit, blurry, and the make cheese curds look VERY unappetizing. mrcool1122 04:56, 9 March 2007 (UTC)


 * Kind of like the current pic on the page 67.53.78.15 16:36, 4 August 2007 (UTC)

Um. what *are* they?
Ok, the article explains where you can get them, what they're like, and what you can do with them. But what the heck *are* they? How are they made? Are they a byproduct of cheese? Are they a stage in the production of cheese? What are cheese curds? spikey 23:51, 8 July 2006 (UTC)


 * Cheese is made up of curds and whey. There's a header atop the page explaining that for an explanation of what curds are, you should go to the curd article. (But because you asked... they're basically solidified milk proteins.) Matt Yeager ♫ ( Talk? ) 23:14, 10 July 2006 (UTC)

Dipping them???
Some places have marinara sauce to dip them in... particularly in Illinois. I don't see the need to dip them myself, but some people like it that way, and some places with cheap knockoffs for cheese curds (i.e. Monical's Pizza, a central illinois chain serve "cheddar nuggets" with red sauce).--69.21.146.227 02:34, 10 August 2006 (UTC)

Some places also have cheap knock-offs called "mozzarella sticks" 67.53.78.15 16:22, 4 August 2007 (UTC)

Other states
I added Minnesota and Iowa as locations you often find deep fried cheese curds at carnivals and fairs, as well as "occasionally" finding them in restaurants, etc. I lived in the midwest my whole life, and I nearly always seem them at a fair, but not very often in a restaurant (which is probably a good thing because I dont think I'd be able to resist them).

I also added Northern IL to the list, as I know that nearly every county has a fried cheese curd vender. —Preceding unsigned comment added by 216.73.233.248 (talk) 00:09, 21 September 2008 (UTC)

Misinformation
The article currently claims that "cheese curds are the fresh curds of cheddar cheese." But, cheese curds are a part of the production process for all types of cheese. Also, if you freeze them, they retain their squeak indefinitely. —Preceding unsigned comment added by 75.152.153.240 (talk) 18:36, 27 October 2007 (UTC)


 * You're probably looking for the curd article. The cheese curds article is exclusively about the cheedar cheese curds that are sold and eaten as such, which is essentially a North American phenomenon, and not about the n-th step in the process of making of any cheese. Also, your second statement is dubious without a reliable source.--Boffob 21:09, 27 October 2007 (UTC)

Actually, I've had cheese curds that were not from cheddar in Upstate New York. —Preceding unsigned comment added by 74.68.48.133 (talk) 05:02, 13 November 2007 (UTC)

Non-cheddar cheese curds are probably quite common in all areas in which the fresh curds are generally common. If you go to the weekly Farmer's Market in Madison, WI, you will see dozens of cheese stands selling curds (the fresh kind, not the breaded kind), only half of what they sell is orange. I've had Mozzarella, Swiss, and Montery Jack. I've also had "flavored" cheese curds, with things like dill, or sundried tomatoes, even chicken stock added to them for flavorings, the same sorts of things you see these days in the gourmet cheese sections. Almost any kind of semi-hard, non-aged cheese could probably have a cheese curd equivalent. 69.95.236.61 (talk) 22:37, 25 December 2007 (UTC)

It is true that many types of cheese could have curds, however in the case of jack, mozzarella, and swiss cheeses (and many others) there is an essential production step which would have to be added to generate cheese curds like this article references. This step is called cheddaring, and occurs when the cheese is allowed to drain completely of whey and form one large conglomerate of it's tiny curds. This process is essential for producing cheese curds in the type that this article discusses because the curds generated when producing cheese are much much smaller. Other types of cheese, such as swiss or gouda are done in a similar way, but they are allowed to press and mat together under the whey. This makes a big difference because they are salted after they are hooped, with a brine or surface salt. Jack and stirred curd gouda is drained then stirred constantly during the draining of whey to prevent this from happening. If it did... it would be cheddar. Those cheeses are salted as curds, but the curds are much too small to be a normal eatable curd (of course they are tasty and eatable, but not the same). All of these cheeses could be made then cut into curd size pieces, however cheddar is the only cheese which this happens as part of it's regular production, therefore the only cheese that normal eatable cheese curds are made with. —Preceding unsigned comment added by 216.115.7.130 (talk) 01:20, 6 January 2011 (UTC)

On the issue of Orange color in cheese, this is not something indigenous to cheddar cheese, but the product of a long forgotten quest to fool consumers into making your cheese look like it is of higher quality. Originally cheese was colored to give the appearance of higher beta carotine content in the milk, which was a sign of high quality. This is because good pasture vegetation contains more of these compounds. Once someone discovered that they could imitate this color by the addition of annatto (a compound derived from an achiote tree) which made their milk look like it was higher in quality, the trend took off, and is now thought of as normal in some cheddar cheeses. There are still more types (but less volume) of cheddar cheese in the world being produced without the addition of this colorant though. It is not a sign of cheddar cheese at all, but a sign of a confused cheese maker and consumers.

Not sure why the article currently mentions Paneer. Though cheese curds are arguable a form of fresh/young cheese (as is the most widly known type of paneer); so is mozarella, cottage cheese, and ricotta and thousands of other varieties. So that's not enough justification to relate paneer to cheese curds. In fact fresh Paneer isn't too similar to curds at all, though it is similar to american "farmer's cheese", and queso fresco. Although the term "cottage cheese" does get applied to paneer and similar cheeses (as does "farmer's cheese) its not very similar to the product that normal goes by that name in western anglophone countries.  — Preceding unsigned comment added by 68.198.13.67 (talk) 05:44, 3 January 2014 (UTC)

Orange?
"The American variety is usually yellow or orange, like most American Cheddar cheese, but don't require the artificial coloring. Normal varieties, as in Quebec or New York State, will be naturally un-colored" - really? Surely the only reason American curds will be different to elsewhere is because they do something different - ie add colouring like annatto etc Snori (talk) 21:53, 10 May 2011 (UTC)

Air trapped inside their porous bodies
I am not so sure about the "air trapped inside their porous bodies" statement. I have had a lot of trouble finding any peer review sources for this information, but I believe that it has something to do with the resonance of the high intact casein matrix immediately after the cheese is made. Please help us find sources for this information! —Preceding unsigned comment added by 64.13.90.47 (talk) 02:19, 29 July 2010 (UTC)

Possible error in manufacture info
"After the milk is pasteurized, you are left with whey and the early stages of the curd. After that you separate the whey from the curd. Next the whey and curd is cooked and then pressed to release the whey from the curd, to create the final product, cheese curd."

This appears to be contradictory. If the whey is released by cooking, then how can it be skimmed off before hand? Is it some sort of multi step process where the majority is removed before cooking and then the cooking allows the remainder to be removed?

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Merge proposal
Although this article starts with a hatnote stating that Cheese curd is about cheese curds as a regional delicacy and Curd has general information about the dairy product, that distinction doesn't seem to be reflected in the articles. Much of the information is duplicated and I don't see any particular reason for two articles, especially since Cheese also covers 'curdling' and 'curd processing'. Therefore, I am proposing to merge Curd into Cheese curd. Curd would then become a redirect to this article. Leschnei (talk) 17:50, 13 July 2018 (UTC)
 * Support merger, although I think Curd would be a better article title (with Cheese curd a ridirect). Please remember to update Curd (disambiguation) once the merger is done. — Kpalion(talk) 13:34, 14 July 2018 (UTC)
 * Someone mentioned in the talk page that this article is exclusively about the dish 'Cheddar cheese curds'. If so, it should be renamed as such. If not, merge and mention both article's names in the merged article --Ne0 (talk) 11:02, 16 July 2018 (UTC)

I'm re-thinking this merger a bit. The original intent of this page appears to have been the cheese curd snack found in Wisconsin and other places, and perhaps it would be best to return to that. Similar articles exist for other fresh cheeses like Paneer and Quark (dairy product). The problem is that the term 'cheese curd' is too generic since every cheese passes through a curd stage. It might be better to create a page titled something like Cheese curd (snack) (not to be confused with Curd snack), and make Cheese curd a redirect to Curd (disambiguation).

I placed a notice of this merge proposal at WikiProject Food and drink. Perhaps others will have something to say about it. Leschnei (talk) 21:08, 16 July 2018 (UTC)

Vancouver Sun Article Redirects
The first citation in the article (Brehaut, 2016) does not link to the right article. Instead it links to "Story of a shattered life: A single childhood incident pushed Dawn Crey into a downward spiral". Please fix with a link to an archived version of the original article, or remove the Vancouver Sun link.

Laura Brehaut (25 October 2016). "'The taste is in the squeak': Why the key to the perfect poutine is the cheese curds — just don't refrigerate them". Vancouver Sun. Retrieved 25 June 2017. — Preceding unsigned comment added by 67.136.93.250 (talk) 16:43, 19 February 2020 (UTC)