DCI Cheese Company: To reintroduce Liederkranz cheese

Contact: Kristy Klug

262.677.3407

kklug@dcicheeseco.com

Limburger-style Liederkranz returning to market after 25-year hiatus

RICHFIELD, Wis. – DCI Cheese Company is pleased to reintroduce Liederkranz (pronounced “LEE-duhr-krahntz”), an American-made, surface-ripened snack cheese with a distinctly strong aroma and unique, full-bodied flavor. This time-tested favorite of cheese connoisseurs has been out of production since 1985. After a 25-year hiatus, the cheese is returning to the market in response to a dedicated fan-base. Liederkranz will be available for purchase in specialty stores in the Midwest starting in mid-March, 2010.

Liederkranz is an American replication of Germany’s Limburger cheese, made subtly different by the use of a distinct bacterial culture for ripening. The cow’s milk cheese has the same texture and unique aroma, but features a distinctively robust and buttery flavor. It is made in a small, rectangular shape and has a moist, edible, golden yellow crust with a pale ivory interior and a heavy, honey-like consistency. It is particularly well complemented by dark bread and dark beer and can be used as an appetizer, on salads or sandwiches, or with fruits. As the cheese matures, the crust turns golden brown and the cheese a deeper color. Both flavor and aroma become much stronger.

The mildly pungent cheese was created in the late 1800s by Emil Frey, an apprentice cheesemaker at the Monroe Cheese Company in Monroe, New York. The owner, Adolphe Tode, also ran a successful New York delicatessen. At the time there was a heavy wave of German immigrants and Tode received many requests from them for Bismarck Schlosskäse, a traditional soft, smelly cheese. Due to inadequate refrigeration, much of this delicate cheese spoiled in transit. To meet the demand, Tode challenged his company’s cheesemakers to duplicate the popular German cheese. After years of experimentation, Frey stumbled upon a spreadable, Limburger-style product.

The first samples of the new cheese were taken to the famous New York City singing society, the Liederkranz Club, whose members were patrons of Tode’s deli. When they pronounced it wonderful, the cheese was named “Liederkranz” in their honor. Translated from German, the name means “wreath of song”.

After a series of ownership changes, production was moved to Van Wert, Ohio, in 1926. This aided the cheese’s distribution, bringing it closer to its biggest purchasers: the Midwest’s heavily Germanic population. Liederkranz was last manufactured in Ohio in 1985.

DCI Cheese Company is pleased to reintroduce Liederkranz, preserving the pleasantly strong flavors and aromas of the original semisoft, surface-ripened snack cheese. It will be available for purchase in Midwestern specialty stores starting in late-March, 2010.

About DCI Cheese Company

An innovative leader in the cheese industry since 1975, Richfield, Wisconsin-based DCI Cheese Company is the largest importer, manufacturer and marketer of specialty cheeses and other restaurant-quality prepared foods in the United States. The company offers an impressive portfolio of fully-owned or exclusively-held imported and domestic specialty cheese brands including Black Diamond®, Goldy’s®, Joan of Arc®, King’s Choice®, Meza®, Nikos®, Organic Creamery® and Salemville®, among others. DCI’s value-added products can be found in restaurants, grocery stores, club stores and specialty shops across the country. DCI’s mission is to be the leading solution-based provider in the cheese industry and actively seeks strategic partnerships to expand their manufacturing, branding, sales, marketing and distribution. For more information on DCI Cheese Company and their portfolio of specialty cheese and prepared food brands, visit http://www.dcicheeseco.com.