We have an age-old saying here in Wisconsin: “blocks of cheese, yes and please; curds of cheddar, even better.” OK maybe I made that up. But I think we all can agree that cheese curds are the quintessential Wisconsin snack, and so does USA Today apparently. In fact, they just posted an article about how cheese curds are, perhaps, America’s best regional food.

The article gives a brief run-down of how these delicious curds of wonder came about. You see, curds are traditionally processed into blocks of cheese, a form that the un-curducated is most familiar with. However, one day a hungry Wisconsin cheese-maker decided to chow down on a handful of curds and, voilà, history was made. The delicious snack has been squeaking its way into the hearts and bellies of Wisconsinites ever since.

USA Today has also included cheese curds in their 10 Best Readers’ Choice poll for “Best Iconic American Foods.” Other foods on the list include Baltimore crabs, New York pastramis, and more. But, as far as I know, none of these other foods squeak when you bite into them. So if you feel as strongly as I do about these scrumptious “randomly shaped ‘nuggets’ of cheese,” then I suggest heading over to the poll and voting.