Choosing the cheese champ

MARSHFIELD, Wis. — The Roehl Marshfield Public Library helped bring the fun of cheese to their patrons on a frigid day in January.

Jan. 20 has come to be celebrated in the U.S. as National Cheese Lover’s Day. This is not to be confused with National Cheese Day, which is held June 4. The former holiday was recently created to give those who love cheese a reason to celebrate — if a reason is required — but no clear origin of the holiday exists.

The Cheese Champs event, held for central Wisconsin cheese lovers, took place Jan. 20 at the Everett Roehl Marshfield Public Library in Marshfield as part of the library’s weekly all-ages programming. The event helped attendees consume part of the 42.3 pounds of cheese the average American consumes each year, according to Statista. Cheese consumption is on an upward trajectory.

For the ERMPL marketing coordinator, Steve Apfel, adding a cheese night was an easy addition to the event calendar.

“Pretty much everyone loves cheese here in Wisconsin,” Apfel said. “The dairy industry, and cheesemakers, are a pretty big part of our local area. This is a fun way to support them, and enjoy some pretty good cheese, too.”

Apfel said cheese is one of his favorite treats, and trips to local cheesemakers are a regular part of his schedule.

“My favorite thing is to go out to Nasonville Dairy,” Apfel said. “In the summer you can look for the handwritten labels. Those are usually the cheeses they have made for competitions and have extra of. Once it’s gone, it’s gone, but I’ve tasted some really cool things.”

More than a dozen people braved the cold to come and participate in a blind taste-test of five flavors of cheese made by Nasonville Dairy Inc., located just outside the city of Marshfield. Flavors offered for consideration included a medium cheddar, a medium Colby, a pepper Jack, an apple cinnamon-flavored Jack and a smoky Swiss cheddar.

“They were flavors that were fairly easy to identify, but I wanted to stay fairly middle of the road to make it a fun experience for all ages,” Apfel said. “It was great to be able to source our cheese from a local business, cheese that is made right here in our backyard, with milk produced by farms in our area.”

In addition to cubes of cheese for participants to sample, Apfel came armed with a bevy of cheesy, cheese-related jokes to entertain. The cheeses, numbered one through five, were passed out one at a time for evaluation. Once all five were savored, guests were asked to take their best guess at matching each cheese to its name, picking their overall favorite as the evening’s Cheese Champ. The top selection of those in attendance turned out to be apple cinnamon Jack.

April Zekimilszski traveled more than an hour, from Wausau, to attend the program. She was one of the participants who chose apple cinnamon Jack as her favorite.

“The cinnamon was subtle, I really liked it,” Zekimilszski said.

The local ties the cheeses had to the community enhanced the event for those in attendance.

Sheryl Johnson, a resident of Marshfield, said she came to enjoy the program because of her appreciation for cheese.

“I enjoy these programs at the library and attend frequently,” Johnson said. “This is the first time they’ve had cheese tasting. I’m pretty good at cheese, so I thought I would come and see if I could identify the different cheeses.”

For Zekimilszski, the program was an activity to help add some cheer to the long month of January.

“I saw this advertised on social media and thought it would make for a fun evening,” Zekimilszski said. “I wanted to get out of the house, to go out and do something, and this was it.”

Cody Schloesser of Junction City was already at the library, selecting books to check out, when he heard the announcement that Cheese Champions was about to begin.

“I didn’t even know it was National Cheese Lover’s Day,” Schloesser said. “I went to Culver’s for dinner with my mom and dad and had cheese curds and a bacon cheeseburger, too. I guess I was celebrating without even knowing it.”

Fun and socializing aside, Johnson said she feels not enough people recognize the important role the dairy industry plays in Wisconsin’s communities.

“Here in central Wisconsin, especially, the cheese plants are a part of our heritage,” Johnson said. “They’re family businesses, and they are important to our local towns and communities. I think I’m one of Nasonville’s best customers. I live just up the road and I love going there.”