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Thecuisine of Wisconsin is a type ofMidwestern cuisine found throughout the state ofWisconsin in the United States of America. Known as "America's Dairyland",^[1] Wisconsin is famous for its cheese as well as other dairy products, such ascheese curds andfrozen custard. Other notable foods common to the region includebratwursts, beer, brandyOld Fashioned cocktails,butter burgers,fish fries andfish boils,cranberries, andbooyah stew.

The state is well known as a home to manycheesemakers. Currently, Wisconsin has 58 Master Cheesemakers, who are all qualified through an extensive process set by the Wisconsin Milk Marketing Board.^[2] The program is the only one of its kind outside of Europe. Wisconsin cheesemaking is diverse, ranging from artisans who hand-craft their product from the milk of their own dairy herds to large factories.^{[citation needed]}

Colby cheese was first created in Wisconsin in 1885 (named after thetown it came from), andBrick cheese was first created in the state in 1877. The state has also played origin to Blue Marble Jack cheese, and is the only producer ofLimburger cheese in the United States.^{[citation needed]}

Cheese curds can be eaten separately "squeaky," meaning cold, as a snack, or covered in batter and fried as an appetizer, often served with ranch dressing as a dipping sauce.^[3]

Hot and spicy cheese bread is a popular type of bread created and sold inMadison, Wisconsin from Stella's Bakery.^[4]

Blue moon ice cream is a flavor popular in theUpper Midwest of the United States, including Wisconsin. TheChicago Tribune described the ice cream as "Smurf-blue,marshmallow-sweet".^[5]

At theUniversity of Wisconsin–Madison, Babcock Dairy Plant and Store produces and sells ice cream, milk, and cheese products on campus.^[6] Babcock ice cream uses beef gelatin as its stabilizing agent, making the majority of its flavors non-vegetarian.^[7]

Malted milk was invented byJames Horlick inRacine in the early 1870s.^[8] The Babcock Butterfat Test, now standard in the industry, was defined by Dr. Steven Babcock at theUniversity of Wisconsin-Madison in 1890.^[9]

Besides its "cheesehead" status, Wisconsin has a reputation for alcohol consumption. Common traits of "drinking culture" are embedded in Wisconsin traditions, from festivals and holidays to everyday life. Many large breweries were founded in Wisconsin, largely in Milwaukee, which gained the epithet "Brew City" before the turn of the century.Miller Brewing Company,Pabst Brewing Company,Joseph Schlitz Brewing Company (all from and originally based in Milwaukee) andJacob Leinenkugel Brewing Company all began as local businesses before entering the national and international markets.^{[citation needed]}

Wisconsin has experienced a resurgence in this industry, however, with numerous microbreweries and craft beers now being created and exported. Several other favorites include Ale Asylum,^[10]Capital,Sprecher, andNew Glarus, the latter being well known for the Spotted Cow Farmhouse Ale. New Glarus is also known for refusing to sell their liquor outside of Wisconsin, which was originally to meet demand but has since become a marketing tactic.^[11]

Cooking with beer is also common across the state. Wisconsinites boil or braise their sausages (especiallybratwursts) in several types of beer (most often aPilsner) with butter and onions, andbeer batter fish, typicallywalleye orperch. Beer-batteredcheese curds andonion rings are also typical fare.^{[citation needed]}

Beer cheese soup is usually made from a variety of beer and a sharpcheddar or more mildcolby cheese, with sausage, potatoes, and green onions.^{[citation needed]}

Another recipe involving alcohol is "beer butt" or "beer can" chicken (similar todrunken chicken), a meal involving a whole chicken slow-roasted, typically over a fire, with a can of usually amber beer directly inserted into the poultry's cavity.^{[citation needed]}

Besides beer, Wisconsinites also drink large quantities ofbrandy,^[12] often mixed into the unique Badger libation, the "brandyOld Fashioned," which can be sweet, sour, or press. Another though considerably more recent brandy-based cocktail is the Wisconsin Badger,^[13] derived from a mix of brandy, cranberry juice, and cherry schnapps.^{[citation needed]}

Pewaukee, Wisconsin is also home to the alcoholic beverageRumChata, described as anhorchata recipe containing the primary ingredients ofrum and Wisconsin cream.^{[citation needed]}

Thebloody Mary has long been popular in Wisconsin, traditionally served with a 5-ounce "sidecar" or "pony" of beer.^[14] The 2000s-2010s U.S. trend of extravagant and meal-sized bloody Mary garnishes, including cheese curds, large portions of bacon, entire fried chickens, and other similar toppings, originated at Sobelman's Bar on the Near West Side ofMilwaukee and spread through social media.^[15][16]

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Wisconsin cuisine also features a large amount of sausage, orwurst (German for "sausage"). The state is also a major producer and consumer ofsummer sausage, as well as the nation's top producer and consumer ofbrats.

Brats are typically boiled in a mix of beer, butter, and onions, served on a bratwurst bun, and topped withsauerkraut and often a spicy, brown-style mustard. The city ofMadison, Wisconsin, the state's capital, plays host to the annual "World's Largest"Brat Fest, a four-day-long festival incorporating music, recreational activities, and bratwursts grilled on a 65-foot-long grill.

TheAmerican Family Field in Milwaukee hosts theSausage Race duringMilwaukee Brewers home games. This is a mascot race involving racing sausage mascots representative of some of the most common sausages found in the state:bratwurst,kielbasa,Italian sausage, thehot dog, andchorizo. Venison sausage,Andouille sausage, and Belgiantrippe (pork and cabbage sausage) are a few other common sausages found in the state, though they do not constitute a part of the Sausage Race. American Family Field is also notable for being the only U.S. stadium in which brats outsellhot dogs.

Friday nightfish fries are ubiquitous throughout Wisconsin, with beer-battered and deep friedperch orwalleye being the main entrees.Supper clubs are a part of Wisconsin's culinary heritage, including fish fries on Friday evenings. Some of the more traditional sides served are: french fries, potato pancakes with applesauce, creamy or vingar-basedcole slaw, along with lemon wedges. It's also not uncommon to be served a single slice ofmarbled rye bread, in addition to fries or pancakes.^[17][18][19]

Fish boils featurewhitefish from the Great Lakes and are held most days of the week in northeastern Wisconsin, particularly in theDoor Peninsula.^{[citation needed]}

Booyah stew is another common Wisconsin meal, found especially in the Northeast region of the state. The origins of this dish are disputed, but the Wisconsin origin contends that the word is a vernacular Flemish or Walloon Belgian spelling of the French wordbouillon, in this context meaning "broth." The recipient was likely brought to Wisconsin byWalloons that settled in the region. Recipes vary but common ingredients usually involve chicken or other meats—beef, pork, orox tail are most often used—as well as a mirepoix of vegetables, commonly onion, celery, carrots, cabbage, peas, potatoes, and rutabaga. The ingredients are all cooked together in a special kind of large, cast-iron kettle often known as a "booyah kettle," over low heat for several days.^{[citation needed]}

A popular Wisconsin dessert is thecream puff, a type of profiterole that is a famous treat at theWisconsin State Fair.^{[citation needed]}

Afudge-bottom pie is still served and sold at theUniversity of Wisconsin–Madison. The recipe has been alternatively attributed to ChefCarson Gulley from UW Dining, and Chefs Lewis Marston and Maurice Coombs from the Memorial Union.^[20][21][22] Partially on the strength of this and other recipes, Gulley and his wife Beatrice became known in 1953 for having been some of the first Black Americans to host a cooking show on television, and the first Black Americans to host a television show of any kind in Wisconsin.^[23][24]

The southeastern Wisconsin city ofRacine is known for Kringle, a sweet, flaky, pastry that was brought by Danish immigrants who came to the region in the 1840s.^[25] The Kringle became the official pastry of the State ofWisconsin on June 30, 2013.^[26]

Schaum Torte is a type ofpavlova served in southeastern Wisconsin, especially during the summer when fresh strawberries are in season. The dessert's light, airy nature is also well-suited to southeast Wisconsin summers that can be hot and humid.^[27][28][29]

A set of three triangle-shaped tin pans that are unique to Mayville, Wisconsin are used for making carrot cakes and potato tortes. These cakes and tortes were especially common at church bake sales, likely due to being able to bake three cakes simultaneously.^[30]

Wisconsin is the leading producer ofcranberries in the United States, which is also the state's official fruit.^[31]

Culver's is afast casual food restaurant chain originally fromSauk City, Wisconsin and currently headquartered inPrairie du Sac, Wisconsin. They are known for serving several Wisconsin type items suchs as butter burgers, fish fry dinners, fried cheese curds, and frozen custard.

Dane County Farmers' Market in Madison is the largest producers-only farmer's market in the nation.^[32][33]

The modern-dayhamburger is claimed to have been invented inSeymour, Wisconsin in 1885 by "Hamburger" Charlie Nagreen.^[34] While others also claim to have invented the hamburger, thebutter burger is more likely to have originated in Wisconsin.Solly's Grille in metro Milwaukee and Kroll's Restaurant in Green Bay have both cited 1936 as the year they began serving the sandwich, with the Wisconsin-based Culver's providing an increased popularity of the sandwich through its chain of restaurants.^{[35][36][37][38]}

Tiger Meat or "Cannibal Sandwiches" are a variation onZwiebelmett: raw ground beef served open-faced on rye bread, usually topped with sliced raw onion and seasoned with salt and black pepper. The sandwiches are usually served during the winter in southeastern Wisconsin, in particular at Christmas and New Year's Eve parties.^[39]

Wild rice grows in Wisconsin, and is an important staple especially for Native American tribes such as theMenominee.^{[citation needed]}

• Cuisine of the Midwestern United States

• Cuisine of Wisconsin
• Culture of Wisconsin
• American cuisine by state

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