The Center for Dairy Research at the University of Wisconsin–Madison hosts a lot of cheese making short courses — almost twenty per year. But most participants don’t get to hear their instructors say: “Tres vueltas, sin romperlo.”

Three times, without breaking it.

After helping to make vats of cheddar, Colby, gouda and ricotta cheeses, participants in CDR’s new “Fundamentos de Elaboración de Queso” (Fundamentals of Cheese Making) short course, spread out in a big circle around the CDR’s pilot plant space and started stretching a long rope of freshly extruded mozzarella cheese. The goal was to stretch the cheesy rope three times around the plant — and try to break the cheese-stretching record.

They almost made it. Once the near 100-foot rope started to break, the cheese got rolled up like a ball of yarn — which the instructors noted is a process similar to making queso Oaxaca, a mozzarella-like cheese that originated in Mexico.

The hands that held the mozzarella rope this past spring belonged to participants in the CDR’s first in-person Spanish-language short course to be taught in the pilot plant.

“We’re excited because we’re closing a huge gap in learning and teaching for Hispanic people here in Wisconsin, where the dairy industry is a big part of our economy,” says Rodrigo A. Ibáñez, scientist at CDR and one of the course instructors. “There are a lot of native Spanish-speakers who work in our state’s dairy processing plants, so we’re really glad that we can offer this.”

Ibáñez hails from Chile, and the three other Spanish-speaking CDR instructors for the course come from Mexico and Chile. Instruction is given exclusively in Spanish, or first given in English and then repeated in Spanish.

The class is a two-day course that covers the fundamentals of cheese making, including delving into the science and theory — explaining the “how” and “why” — behind things. Participants learn about the process that turns milk into cheese, including microbiology, moisture, and pH, plus common government safety regulations for dairy processing in the United States. The course also covers a comprehensive overview of dairy processing equipment and includes a hands-on cheese making lab.

“We know the basics,” says short course participant Levi García Sánchez, who works at Blakesville Creamery in Port Washington, Wisconsin. “The basics are good, but it’s nice to know more in-depth about [what’s going on]. We’ve never had a class like this.”

The process of cheese making is complex. And it can be especially challenging for people to understand advanced techniques when they’re being taught in a second or third language. “I have the ability to speak in English, but I find it is always better [to learn things] in your native language because [it’s easier to follow along and] you can understand one hundred percent,” says Noel Espejo, who works at Eau Galle Cheese in Durand, Wisconsin. “Apart from that, [in a course in your first language], you also feel more confident and comfortable asking questions.”

Steven Martinez, an employee at V&V Supremo in Arena, Wisconsin, was grateful that the CDR offered the course in Spanish. “The community is very rooted in Wisconsin and a lot of the Latino community works in the cheese plants, not just where I work,” says Martinez. “The needs of the community are important. I think that this course can help not only me, but all cheese companies, and the more knowledge we have, the better for the industry.”

For the spring 2023 course, nearly all the participants had their course fees covered by their employers. And it was well worth it, according to Bob Wills, owner of Clock Shadow Creamery in Milwaukee, Wisconsin and Cedar Grove Cheese in Plain, Wisconsin. 

“Two of our employees at Cedar Grove Cheese participated in this program and since they got back, they’ve been sharing their new knowledge with our other Spanish-speaking employees,” says Wills. “It’s been beneficial to our workforce. I would absolutely send more employees to future Spanish-language courses at CDR.”

When the training is over, participants receive a printed certificate of completion. The document marks their successful completion of the course, and the training qualifies as a prerequisite for the advanced cheese making courses that are offered by CDR and as a first step to taking the Wisconsin Cheesemakers License exam.

Participants were enthusiastic about receiving this intensive training, and they enjoyed the hands-on learning. After the lab session, for instance, they were able to sample many of the cheeses they produced, including cheese curds seasoned with some unusual flavorings. A group favorite was the ancho chili lime cheese curds. CDR is offering “Fundamentos de Elaboración de Queso” again Sept. 26-27, 2023. Registration for the class is now open and closes on Sept. 12, 2023. Information on the course and registration can be found on the CDR website at https://go.wisc.edu/CDRSpanishShortCourse.