Liederkranz is an American re-creation of

Limburger cheese Limburger (in southern Dutch contexts Rommedoe, and in Belgium Herve cheese) is a cheese that originated in the Herve area of the historical Duchy of Limburg, which had its capital in Limbourg-sur-Vesdre, now in the French-speaking Belgian Liè ...

, made subtly different by the use of a different bacterial culture for smear-ripening. Liederkranz is a

cow Cattle (''Bos taurus'') are large, domesticated, cloven-hooved, herbivores. They are a prominent modern member of the subfamily Bovinae and the most widespread species of the genus ''Bos''. Adult females are referred to as cows and adult ma ...

milk Milk is a white liquid food produced by the mammary glands of mammals. It is the primary source of nutrition for young mammals (including breastfed human infants) before they are able to digestion, digest solid food. Immune factors and immune ...

cheese Cheese is a dairy product produced in wide ranges of flavors, textures, and forms by coagulation of the milk protein casein. It comprises proteins and fat from milk, usually the milk of cows, buffalo, goats, or sheep. During production, ...

, with an edible pale yellow-orange tan crust, and a semisoft, pale interior with a mildly pungent flavor and distinct

aroma An odor (American English) or odour ( Commonwealth English; see spelling differences) is caused by one or more volatilized chemical compounds that are generally found in low concentrations that humans and animals can perceive via their se ...

that could become unpleasantly

ammonia Ammonia is an inorganic compound of nitrogen and hydrogen with the formula . A stable binary hydride, and the simplest pnictogen hydride, ammonia is a colourless gas with a distinct pungent smell. Biologically, it is a common nitrogenous was ...

-like if aged incorrectly. Liederkranz was created in 1891 by Emil Frey (1867–1951), a young Swiss cheesemaker in

Monroe, New York Monroe is a town in Orange County, New York, United States. The population was 21,387 at the 2020 census, compared to 39,912 at the 2010 census; the significant fall in census population was due to the secession of the town of Palm Tree in 2019 ...

, who later also created

Velveeta Velveeta is a brand name for a processed cheese product similar to American cheese. It was invented in 1918 by Emil Frey of the "Monroe Cheese Company" in Monroe, New York, Monroe, New York (state), New York. In 1923, "The Velveeta Cheese Compan ...

there in 1923. Frey was apprenticed to Adolph Tode, who ran the Monroe Cheese Company, as well as a New York City delicatessen. They named the cheese after a local singing society, a Liederkranz Club ("singing circle"), perhaps the famous one in New York, or perhaps just on a whim for its Germanic sound. Until the original line went out of production, the cheese was sold in small boxes, with perforations in the sides. The return of the product sees it wrapped in aroma-proof foil. It is very similar in flavor to the French cheese Epoisses. The Monroe Cheese Company, the original source of Liederkranz, passed to new ownership, but Emil Frey stayed on and followed Liederkranz production to

Van Wert, Ohio Van Wert is a city in and the county seat of Van Wert County, Ohio, United States. The municipality is located in northwestern Ohio approximately 77 mi (123 km) SW of Toledo and 34 mi (54 km) SE of Fort Wayne, Indiana. The po ...

, in 1926. In 1929, the company was sold to the

Borden Company Borden, Inc., was an American producer of food and beverage products, consumer products, and industrial products. At one time, the company was the largest U.S. producer of dairy and pasta products. Its food division, Borden Foods, was based in ...

. Frey retired in 1938. At the end of 1981, after a fire damaged its Van Wert plant, Borden terminated its natural cheese lines in favor of "

processed cheese Processed cheese (also known as process cheese, cheese food, prepared cheese, cheese product, or plastic cheese) is a food product made from cheese and unfermented dairy ingredients mixed with emulsifiers. Additional ingredients, such as vegeta ...

". A few months later the Fisher Cheese Company purchased the Van Wert plant and began to produce Liederkranz. In 1985, bacterial contamination of a batch of Liederkranz and several other cheeses induced Fisher to withdraw Liederkranz from the market, selling the franchise and the bacterial culture to

Beatrice Foods Beatrice Foods Company was a major American food processing company founded in 1894. In 1987, its international food operations were sold to Reginald Lewis, a corporate attorney, creating TLC Beatrice International, after which the majority of ...

(Beatrice has since been acquired by

ConAgra Conagra Brands, Inc. (formerly ConAgra Foods) is an American consumer packaged goods holding company headquartered in Chicago, Illinois. Conagra makes and sells products under various brand names that are available in supermarkets, restaurants, ...

) and the

New Zealand Dairy Board The New Zealand Dairy Board (NZDB) was a statutory board in control of the export of all New Zealand dairy products from its formation in 1923 until 2001. It operated through a global network of marketing subsidiaries. In 2001, the Dairy Board wa ...

. That was the last batch of Liederkranz to be made for 25 years. In 2010, the cheese was reintroduced by

DCI Cheese Company DCI Cheese Company is a United States food industry company specializing in cheese, headquartered in Richfield, Wisconsin (in Mayville, Wisconsin before 2005). Established in 1975 as Dan Carter, Inc., a consulting firm for cheesemakers, it rapidly g ...

Richfield, Washington County, Wisconsin Richfield is a village in Washington County, Wisconsin, United States. The population was 11,739 at the 2020 census. The previously unincorporated communities of Hubertus and Pleasant Hill are located in the village as well as the communities ...

, which had acquired the trademark and the cultures (whose survival had been doubted during Liederkranz's long absence from the market). Liederkranz was the favorite cheese of poet

W. H. Auden Wystan Hugh Auden (; 21 February 1907 – 29 September 1973) was a British-American poet. Auden's poetry was noted for its stylistic and technical achievement, its engagement with politics, morals, love, and religion, and its variety in ...

, having been recommended to him by T. S. Eliot.

References

*Laura Werlin, ''The New American Cheese: Profiles of America's Great Cheesemakers'' *

John Steele Gordon John Steele Gordon (born May 7, 1944) is an American writer who specializes in the history of business and finance. Born and raised in New York City, he graduated from Vanderbilt University. After spending some time in publishing, he left to tr ...

, ''The Business of America'' (includes a chapter on the rise and fall of Liederkranz)

External links

Monroe Cheese Festival website:
history of cheesemaking in Monroe
DCI Cheese Company
{{Portal, Food Food and drink introduced in 1891 American cheeses Cow's-milk cheeses