Ewe Calf to be Kidding

Ewe Calf to be Kidding: America's first triple-milk blue

There is a lot of flavor and joyful fun in every bite of Ewe Calf to be Kidding from Hook's Cheese Company. This bright and flavorful cheese combines the creaminess of cow's milk, the earthy notes of sheep's milk, and the bright zing of goat's milk. Ewe Calf to be Kidding is the first triple-milk blue to be produced in the U.S., but judging from its warm, award-winning reception, it certainly won't be the last.

Hook's Cheese

Hook's Cheese is a family-run business in Mineral Point, Wisconsin that's been making award-winning blue cheese since 1997. With more than 50 years of cheesemaking experience, Tony and Julie Hook bring exceptional expertise, rigorous testing, and constant monitoring to the cheesemaking process, producing exceptional cheddars, goudas, and Swiss cheeses alongside Ewe Calf to be Kidding and several other blues. Among their 40 cheese offerings is a 15-year cheddar that they unveiled in 2009.

Wisconsin innovation

In Wisconsin, we've been making cheese since the 1840s. Since then, our cheesemakers have honed their skills in Old World recipes while also pushing the boundaries of what cheese can be. That's why you'll find lots of amazing new varieties in our cheese shops and grocery stores. In addition to Ewe Calf to be Kidding, look for award-winning varieties like Sartori SarVecchio Parmesan, Roth Pavino, fresh mozzarella ciliegine from Crave Brothers, dill havarti from Edelweiss Creamery, and Hill Valley Dairy's Luna cheese, a cross between an Alpine-style and a gouda.

All about Ewe Calf to be Kidding

Ewe Calf to be Kidding is a semi-firm, creamy cheese with streaks and patches of blue-green mold. This complex blue has a moist and crumbly texture, with fruity, tangy, melt-in-your-mouth flavors.

The milk for this triple-treat cheese comes from local farmers. After the curd is formed and the cheese is placed into molds, it's aged for ten to twelve months in caves with higher temperatures and humidity to provide the optimal conditions for the blue mold to grow. The cheese ages in areas that are separate from the company's other cheeses, since the mold used to make blue cheese tends to spread easily.

How is blue cheese made?

Blue cheese is made by adding mold from the Penicillium family to the milk before it is curdled. The cheese curd is typically packed loosely into molds but not pressed, leaving space within the curd where the mold can eventually grow and spread. After the cheese has aged for several weeks, cheesemakers pierce it with needles or rods, creating channels that bring air to the mold inside the cheese, encouraging it to grow. These channels become the blue-green streaks and veins that are the hallmark of blue cheese.

How to pair this triple-milk blue

With beverages

Like most blue cheeses, Ewe Calf to be Kidding pairs best with white wines, beers, and cider. When pouring wine, champagne, chardonnay, riesling, müller-thurgau, and sauvignon blanc are all great options. If you prefer beer, a Belgian ale, amber ale, bock, or brown ale will complement the strong flavors of this Wisconsin blue.

In the kitchen

Ewe Calf to be Kidding is a flavorful addition to a salad, along with a citrus vinaigrette and a handful of dried cranberries. It also makes a great base for a blue cheese dressing for a classic wedge salad.

On the cheese board

When you're preparing a cheese board, charcuterie spread, or grazing table, Ewe Calf to be Kidding is best appreciated with fresh fruit such as slices of ripe Bosc pair, classic salted crackers, honey-dried fruits, nuts, chutneys, pickles, and a selection of cured meats.