Life is Gouda here in Cincinnati, where we're apparently the cheese champs of the Midwest.
Crystal Farms Dairy Co. recently commissioned research to find out which Midwest cities consume the most cheese. To determine its leaderboard, the dairy manufacturer looked at the number of pounds of cheese sold per capita in 2020 and found 50 shades of gruyere (ha ha) hiding along the Ohio River.
The surprising winner? Cincinnati, which bested even "official cheese state" Milwaukee, Wisconsin on Crystal Farms' list. Our Ohio cheeseheads in Dayton and Cleveland came in at No. 2 and No. 10, respectively. Praise Cheesus!
Crystal Farms' research also found that the Midwest as a region consumed more cheese than anywhere else in the United States, with each Midwesterner purchasing an average of 15.5 pounds. The dairy says it's aiming to source all of its cheese from farmers in the Midwest.
"We know Midwesterners eat a lot of cheese — which isn't surprising because our region is where we believe the best cheese comes from," Roxanne Bernstein, CEO of Crystal Farms, said in a press release. "In working with dairy farmers across the Heartland, we can bring consumers unbelievably delicious cheese products. We encourage people to come together to celebrate their love for all types of cheese — you name it — to help us ensure Midwest family dairy farms survive and thrive."
If you're ready to get your cheese on, check out where CityBeat recommended that readers go for National Cheese Day last month (they still have all the cheese today, we promise).
And in queso emergency, see the rest of the cities on Crystal Farms' list of top Midwestern cheese consumers.
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