I always marveled that my sister, who grew up in the heart of America’s Dairyland (Wisconsin, in case you didn’t know), managed to settle down in the one place in the United States that claims to produce better cheese: Tillamook, OR. There is no question that Tillamook cheese is good, but I will leave it to you to decide if it is better than Wisconsin cheese. I can, however, attest to the fact that Tillmook has the same aroma as Wisconsin’s best dairy farming areas. You can’t escape the distinctive odor of cows, manure and silage. It is a bit of Wisconsin, but with mountains.
It is kind of amusing, I think, that we bought a 5 lb block of Tillamook sharp cheddar when we were in Phoenix, then carried it all the way back to Tillamook. Coals to Newcastle.
We visited the Tillamook Cheese Factory yesterday after lunch. I am told that this is the second “most visited” attraction in Oregon, after Crater Lake. I don’t think I would travel hundreds of miles to see it, like I would for the Grand Canyon, say, but if you happen to be in the area (which isn’t likely because there is not much else in the vicinity) is is worth an hour of your time. They offer a self-guided tour of the factory. I saw blocks of cheese very similar to the one in my refrigerator being packaged – probably to restock the shelves in Phoenix.
Packaging Tillamook cheese
They also make ice cream. Ben and Jerry have nothing to worry about, but it is pretty good. I give them high marks for originality: I had a scoop of “Grandma’s Cookie Dough” which was very sweet, with chunks of frosting mixed in. And the waffle cone in which it was served was probably the best I have ever had.