The great cheese robbery in Wisconsin

If you thought gold, diamonds, jewellery, and money were the most valuable targets for thieves, your world will shake when you hear about this deliciously bizarre cheese fact in the world of true crime history.

As it turns out, cheese is the most stolen food in the world! It doesn't surprise me much, because, who doesn’t love cheese?!

It is estimated that four per cent of the world’s cheese ends up stolen. Who would have known?

Whilst your mouth waters thinking what you would you with a trailer full of delicious cheese, let me tell you about one the largest cheese robberies in history. It took place in Wisconsin back in 2016; a semi-tractor was used to steal $70,000 worth of parmesan and cheddar cheese, two of my favourite cheeses. Obviously, the thieves had remarkably good taste for cheese.

According to a Facebook post by the local police force, at about 1:30 a.m. on Friday, in Germantown, Wisconsin, a semi-tractor was used to steal a trailer containing the cheese products. The police, with the help of some locals, acted super fast since, as you can imagine, no one in Wisconsin appreciates thieves stealing their precious cheese. Who would?

The trailer was located just a few hours after the robbery but no cheese was found. You have to wonder if they were fast cheese eaters or if the robbery was planned by a colony of mice stocking for the winter.

In the end, the cheeses were finally recovered the next night, just 20 miles (32 km) away, in Milwaukee. In an attempt to quickly rid of the evidence, the thieves tried to sell the cheeses for a dollar a pound. For the proud citizens, the cheese thieves had become suspicious when they tried to sell them good cheese so cheaply. Whilst entertaining the cheese thieves with some smart cheese talk, they immediately called in the police and became instant heroes.

The incident was the second cheese-related robbery in just one week. Nearly $90,000 worth of Parmesan went missing in Marshfield just days before the Wisconsin’s robbery.

Did you know … Wisconsin has produced more cheese than any other state in the U.S. since 1910?

- History of Cheese (https://nhccmuseum.org/history-of-cheese/)

The U.S. state of Wisconsin, is famous for its cheese.

Looking back at my long travelling history, I remember those few weeks I spent in Wisconsin many, many moons ago. Unfortunately, no one back then thought it was paramount to tell me about the most important fact that makes the state special: cheese. In case you didn't know, the state of Wisconsin has produced more cheese than any other state in the U.S. since 1910. That is a valid reason for making Wisconsin one of my favourite States.

The state of Wisconsin is world renowned for dairy farming. It has about 1,290 licensed cheesemakers who produce over 600 varieties, types, and styles of cheese, more than any other state.

In total, they produce 500 million pounds of cheese per year.

Wisconsin has produced more cheese than any other state in the United States since 1910.

To maintain its hard-earned reputation, Wisconsin became the first state to require cheese grading and licensing of its cheese makers.

Wisconsin has the country’s most stringent state standards for cheesemaking and overall dairy product quality, ranking first among all states in the production of Cheddar, American, Mozzarella, Brick, Muenster, and Limburger cheeses. A total cheese paradise!

Moreover, Wisconsin won most Awards at the 2024 World Championship Cheese Contest.

Cheese is such an important part of Wisconsin culture that, as said before, fans of the NFL team, the Green Bay Packers, the Wisconsin local football team, are known as cheeseheads. They are so proud about their cheese culture that they even wear large foam cheese hats during home games.

I first published these two stories on Medium, now combined and updated here, because ... cheese! -S