It's called umami. More than any of the other tastes, more than salty or sweet or sour or bitter, it is what makes you crave certain foods. It is savory, earthy, exquisite, lingering on the tongue and in the mouth, awakening the senses without overpowering them. It is the flavor that compels you to take one more bite, to add one more slice, to put just a little bit more on top.
This is the flavor of LaBelle cheese.
Crafted to combine the mellow richness of gouda with the unctuous texture of German Butterkäse, LaBelle cheese has an appealing, buttery flavor with just a touch of sweetness that gives way to delightful surprise: a tangy, cheddary finish that leaves an indelible impression, bite after bite.
LaBelle cheese is available in eleven-pound wheels or, for those of more modest appetites, eight-ounce individual wedges. Click here for a list of locations where you can find it.
This is a flavor that plays well with others. LaBelle has character enough to stand up to beef or pork. Slice it cold on a ham sandwich, add it to a plate of charcuterie, melt it onto a burger, shred it into chili or dice a few cubes into the broth of a beef stew and watch what happens. Yet it won't overpower fish or chicken. And LaBelle particularly shines when used as a complement to the earthy flavors of vegetables or as a counterpoint to the bright sweetness of fruit. Grill it in a sandwich with a slice of ripe tomato, top off a distinctively different onion soup, stuff mushroom caps and place them under the broiler, shred it into a salad with artichoke hearts and mandarin oranges, or just spread it on a cracker between bites of a crisp, tart apple. Then try and stop. We dare you.
Taste a Wisconsin original today.