14 great American cheeses you should be eating

Flickr/Connie Ma

The U.S. is sitting on a 1.2 billion-pound surplus of cheese.

Thanks to a European excess of milk and a plunge in pricing, the EU is exporting more cheese than the US.  

Meanwhile, American dairy production continues to grow. The culmination of cheap imports from the EU and record high American production rates have led to a cheese crisis.

It's time to decrease that surplus and hit the fromagerie, folks. 

Here are 14 great American cheeses to gorge on now. 

Cheese curds are the ingenious product of Midwesterners. They're often dipped in batter and deep fried. Cheese curds are sold at carnivals, fairs, restaurants and fast-food chains across America.

Connie Ma, Flickr

California is on track to surpass Wisconsin as the nation's number one cheese-production state. The state produces gourmet cheeses like the award-winning Red Hawk cheese from Cowgirl Creamery in Point Reyes Station.

Simon Law, Flickr

Monterey Jack is an American sandwich staple. Variations on the original semi-hard, white cow's milk cheese include Colby-Jack, Cheddar-Jack and Pepper-Jack. All types melt perfectly onto burger patties or tortillas.

Charnsitr, Shutterstock

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