We’ve teamed up with Wisconsin Cheese for an interview mini-series known as Meet the Makers, that includes a sampling of the state’s best cheesemakers and their award-winning creations.
Cheese has been made in Wisconsin since earlier than it was even a state. Within the 1830s and 40s, a wave of European immigrants planted roots within the area and began dairy farms, the place they made selfmade cheeses to get essentially the most out of all that milk. It was a girl actually, Anne Pickett, who began the primary official cheesemaking enterprise within the space, an entire seven years earlier than Wisconsin joined the union in 1848. This time interval additionally noticed the creation of now-classic Wisconsin cheeses—particularly Brick (now we have the parents at Widmer’s Cheese Cellars to thank for this) and Colby. By 1910, the state surpassed New York in milk manufacturing, incomes it the nickname, “America’s Dairyland.”
Right this moment, Wisconsin is dwelling to over 1,200 licensed cheesemakers who’ve introduced dwelling greater than 6,000 awards for his or her cheeses since 1995—that’s a lot of award-winning cheese. Roth Cheese is one such award-winning cheesemaker that’s been woven into the material of Wisconsin’s cheese traditions for over three a long time. However with a lot wonderful cheese popping out of this state, Roth, like others, has needed to innovate to rise to the highest. Enter: Madeline Kuhn, a relative beginner on the earth of cheesemaking—and as a girl, nonetheless a minority within the business—who combines her science background together with her love of artwork to dream up new recipes on the decades-old cheese firm. I sat down with Madeline to study extra about her course of and to search out out what it’s prefer to be making cheese historical past.
This interview has been edited and condensed for readability.
MADISON TRAPKIN: Are you able to inform me who you might be and what you do?
MADELINE KUHN: My title is Madeleine Kuhn, and I’m the analysis and improvement technician and a cheesemaker at Roth Cheese.
What do you’re keen on about cheese?
Cheesemaking is an enchanting course of and it is a historic commerce. As a scientist by commerce and an artist by alternative, cheesemaking is one thing that occurs to fall proper in the course of these, so it is a very rewarding pursuit. And because the Dairy State, now we have to stroll the stroll.
Picture by Dusan Harminc
What does it imply to be a Wisconsin cheesemaker?
Wisconsin is the one state that has a license requirement for cheesemaking. For us, that implies that you are not solely mastering the occupation and the craft of cheesemaking, [but you] additionally develop an appreciation for the artwork of it as effectively. That you must reveal [those things] in order that we will preserve the standard and stage of product that’s popping out of Wisconsin.
You grew up on a dairy, so are you able to inform me a bit about Roth Cheese’s relationship with Wisconsin’s dairy farmers.
Roth has all the time been using the milk from our native dairy farms in southern Wisconsin. At present, we supply from farms inside a 60-mile radius, which is pretty small at the moment. We’re completely happy to work with milk co-ops [in order] to assist these small farms. For me personally, that connection to the farms and being in shut proximity to them could be very close to and expensive to me as a result of I come from a Wisconsin dairy farm and a multi-generation dairy farming household. So to search out myself working within the dairy business, not to mention in cheese, is a very neat place to land.
Picture by Dusan Harminc
Roth has been making cheese in Wisconsin for over 30 years—how has the corporate developed because it began?
We began again within the Nineteen Nineties with one creamery right here in Monroe, Wisconsin. Over time now we have expanded to 3 manufacturing websites and we proceed to develop and develop, not solely the economic system and create jobs in these areas, however create methods to share this prime quality, award-winning cheese from Wisconsin a lot additional past the state.
Initially, the method was very conventional and was influenced and impressed by the Swiss immigrants who had that connection to cheesemakers and cheesemaking in and round Switzerland. So, when cheese began to be made right here in Monroe, they used copper vats and aged cheese on wood boards. We proceed to hold these cheesemaking traditions all through our processes at this time, whereas using some new applied sciences and developments that permit us to maintain our folks and maintain the land in a extra aware means, and proceed to unfold the cheese and love.
What’s it prefer to be on the helm of such a powerful cheesemaking operation so early in your profession?
That is a very good query. I got here to Roth virtually seven years in the past, having by no means made cheese earlier than, and I discovered very quick and the one means that was doable for me is due to the group that we take pleasure in in cheesemaking. There are such a lot of lifelong cheesemakers and cheese professionals who’re very beneficiant with their data and their time and consider in carrying this custom into the long run by educating and sharing it with younger, inexperienced folks like myself.
I am undecided that I see myself as being on the helm of it, nevertheless it actually is a chance and having an open thoughts and being a sponge to take in that data from others in an effort to be part of that.
You’re additionally a part of one other particular group as a girl in cheese—do you discover that mentorship is a giant a part of this sub-community?
Yeah. An fascinating factor about cheesemaking traditionally is that it began very small on a farmstead homestead stage, and many of the cheesemakers had been girls who had been in search of retailers to protect the milk produced on farms for themselves and their households. However due to adjustments within the manufacturing business over centuries, that panorama has modified quite a bit.
Right this moment, there usually are not that many ladies working within the cheese world, so I recognize my relationships with actually glorious examples of different girls within the business. That is essential for me to have these people to look as much as and to share an expertise with. It is also an inspiration as a younger lady on this place to see some rockstar girls main the best way, particularly in specialty cheese and artisan cheese.
Picture by Dusan Harminc
Favourite a part of the cheesemaking course of?
I’ve all the time been fascinated by tangible bodily adjustments in meals. Take into consideration cracking a uncooked egg on a sizzling pan and watching the sunshine solidify and grow to be opaque and the yolk change coloration and texture, or watching bread dough rise due to the motion of yeast—you possibly can inform issues are taking place. My favourite half about cheesemaking is that this transient second of time. After including the clotting enzyme known as rennet to the milk and earlier than it begins to solidify to curd, there’s a few minute the place you can begin to see the proteins coming collectively within the liquid milk and you’ll really feel it and it seems to be grainy and you’ll see issues are taking place. I look ahead to that every time I can once I’m making cheese. I simply love that second. It tells me that cheese is going on. It is on its means.
Out of the greater than 200 awards Roth has received, what are some standouts?
It is all the time thrilling to win awards, particularly for one thing that we pour our hearts into. We have been lucky to obtain a whole bunch of awards and we worth all of these. It is a means for us [makers] to understand the standard of our product. It additionally units the bar for what we attempt to obtain daily and what we wish to put our title on and pull out from Wisconsin. We have had some actually massive thrilling wins [like] in 2016, Roth received the World Championship Cheese Contest with our Grand Cru Surchoix. Grand Cru is the place Roth began, so to be acknowledged on a world stage within the extremely aggressive World Championship Cheese contest for Grand Cru was very thrilling [as] a Wisconsin-based cheese maker producing an Alpine-style cheese.
Are there any thrilling issues on the horizon at Roth Cheese?
There’s all the time one thing on the horizon at Roth Cheese. We simply accomplished the development of our model new headquarters and conversion facility in Stoughton, Wisconsin, which is additional solidifying our dedication to working and growing in Wisconsin and contributing to a vibrant specialty cheese business.
On a private stage, I really feel lucky to be on the artistic aspect of the cheese business. Discovering [ways] to be modern and produce contemporary new ideas and concepts into a really historic, very conventional business like cheese is a problem, however an excellent form of problem. That you must proceed to remain on prime of how individuals are interacting with and having fun with cheese with a purpose to preserve shifting ahead. I am all the time enthusiastic about what which means for Roth, for the specialty cheese business, and for Wisconsin cheese.
What’s your favourite kind of Roth Cheese? Inform us within the feedback under!
Our mates at Wisconsin Cheese are dedicated to showcasing all of the superb cheeses the state has to supply—and there is numerous them. Wisconsin has extra flavors, varieties, and types of cheese than wherever else on the earth. From Italian classics like Parmesan and ricotta to Wisconsin Originals like Colby and Brick, this cheese-obsessed state has somewhat one thing for everybody. Discover out extra about Wisconsin Cheese by visiting their web site.