The Master Cheesemakers Behind Culver's Iconic Curds

Ask any Culver's fan for their favorite sides, and chances are you'll hear about the chain's cheese curds. They're an iconic, beloved piece of Midwestern culture that has spread nationwide along with Culver's, providing a unique combination of fried crunch and savory, gooey cheese. Like many aspects of Culver's, a primarily family-owned company, these curds are the product of a long-running relationship focused on quality.

Culver's sources its cheese curds from LaGrander's, a family-run dairy in Stanley, Wisconsin that's been operating since 1960. It's unclear how long Culver's has worked with the company (beyond the "many years" noted in the video above), but the dairy predates the fast food chain by about 24 years. Culver's cheese curds are produced at the dairy's plant in 5,000-pound batches.

This isn't just any old dairy operation, either. It employs at least three Wisconsin Master Cheesemakers, a rare honor in a dairy-focused state that requires a decade of experience as a licensed cheesemaker, followed by several years of coursework and study of a particular cheese style. Employing three at a single dairy is impressive, considering only around 70 individuals currently hold the certification.

Making high-quality cheese curds for Culver's requires more than just titles. The LaGrander's website says it receives fresh milk deliveries from local farmers every day, and these high milk quality standards lead to high-quality curds. As milk makes up the vast majority of what later becomes the cheese curd (alongside small amounts of salt, rennet, and bacterial cultures), it only follows that the company would have painstaking standards.

There's little doubt the cheese curds are one of Culver's top side dishes. They earned second place in our ranking of popular Culver's menu items, beating out onion rings at number four and coleslaw at number 12. Based on our assessment, they're a far better choice than the traditional fast food pairing of fries, which ranked a disappointing 19th out of 24 due to their lack of flavor.

There's a lot that makes Culver's cheese curds so good, from the portion sizes to the dipping sauce pairings. However, nothing is more fundamental than the quality of the cheese used to make them. With decades of experience and multiple Wisconsin Master Cheesemakers on staff, LaGrander's is proof that countless fast food diners can benefit from the expertise of just a few skilled artisans.