Cougar Gold cheese facts for kids
Cougar Gold is a special American Cheddar cheese. It's made at Ferdinand's Creamery, which is located right on the Washington State University (WSU) campus in Pullman, Washington. What makes this cheese super unique? It's sold only in 30 oz (850 g) tin cans!
Cougar Gold is a white, sharp cheddar cheese. It gets its great taste by aging for at least one year. This cheese has a nutty flavor, a bit like Swiss or Gouda. If you keep it cold in the fridge, an unopened can of Cougar Gold can last for a very long time. As it gets older, the cheese inside becomes even more flavorful, sharper, drier, and crumbly. Each year, about 250,000 cans of Cougar Cheese are made, and about 80% of that is Cougar Gold.
What is the WSU Creamery?
The WSU Creamery is where Cougar Gold and other tasty treats are made. They produce eight different flavors of cheese. They also make many kinds of delicious ice cream!
Students from Washington State University work at the Creamery. They help make the cheese and ice cream. They also sell products at Ferdinand's Ice Cream Shoppe. Plus, they work in the Creamery's Direct Marketing Department, which ships cheese all over the country.
How Was Cougar Gold Created?
WSU started making cheese in cans back in the 1940s. This happened because the U.S. government and the American Can Company gave money to WSU. They wanted WSU to research how to keep cheese fresh inside tin cans.
Cougar Gold was developed during this research time. It was named after Norman S. Golding, who was one of the people involved in creating this special cheese.
Awards and Recognition
Cougar Gold cheese has won several awards for its quality and taste.
- In 1993, the American Cheese Society gave Cougar Gold a blue ribbon. This is a top award!
- In 1995, the cheese earned a silver medal at the United States Cheese Championship.
- Later, Cougar Gold received another silver medal at the 2000 World Cheese Awards.
- Finally, it won a gold medal at the 2006 World Cheese Awards. This shows it's a world-class cheese!
