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Fair Stand · Fried Cheese Curds

Fried Cheese Curds

Fried Cheese Curds — street food from Wisconsin, United States
Photo: Holger B / Wikimedia Commons · CC BY-SA 4.0

Fresh curds only squeak against your teeth for a few hours after they're made, so Wisconsin fair stands fry them straight from same-day cheese factory deliveries to guarantee the squeak.

Fresh curds of cheddar are battered and deep-fried until the outside is crisp and the inside turns molten, served in a paper boat. They're a fixture at the Wisconsin State Fair and cheese-shop drive-thrus across the state.

Why it's made this way: Wisconsin produces more cheese than any other US state, and fresh squeaky curds, a byproduct of same-day cheesemaking, are only really available near the dairies themselves.
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Part of World of Street Food — 690 dishes from 118 countries. Something wrong here? Tell us in the comments below. Photo credits.