A few years ago, I followed the life of a cheese curd, from milk on a dairy farm to fresh cheese in Ellsworth, Wis., to deep-fried glory at the Fair. On the Fairgrounds, though, there are plenty of cheesy options to choose from, so the question remains: Where can you find the Fairgrounds’ best curd?

Over the past week, I’ve rated all the Fair’s cheese curds and other fried cheese products on seven criteria: Saltiness. Acidity. Umami, or savoriness. Sweetness. Astringency, or the bitterness that can either be an unclean “fryer oil” taste or come from the cheese itself. Elasticity, or how stretchable and melty the cheese is. Batter Shatter, which refers to the fragility of the fried coating as it breaks apart between your teeth.

Scores for each quality are descriptive, not necessarily meaning “better” or “worse.” Lower scores, indicated by a shorter line ending closer to the center of the graph, signify a quality that was less intense or prominent, and higher scores, indicated by longer lines further from the center, signify more intensity or prominence.

As for my qualifications here: Aside from my reporting role at the Pioneer Press, where I do cover local cheese when I can, I’ve been a cheesemonger for more than eight years and have travelled the country and world — and the Minnesota State Fairgrounds — in search of the best cheese.

Within each division, entries are ranked from the least to most successful.

Division I: Traditional Cheese Curds

4. Curds (classic/unflavored) at Solem’s Cheese Curds and Mini Donuts

Cheese curds from Solem’s Cheese Curds & Mini Donuts are served at the Minnesota State Fair on Aug. 22, 2025. (Jared Kaufman / Pioneer Press)

Tasting notes: These curds have a very thin batter, which certainly keeps the focus on the cheese but also lessens the satisfying shatter of crunching into them. The cheese also retains the firm squeakiness of a fresh curd, suggesting a shorter cook time. However, like everything else at this stand, these curds have a slight bitter astringency that may result from unclean frying oil.

Find it: on the east side of Underwood Street, between Murphy and Lee avenues

A graph shows food reporter and cheesemonger Jared Kaufman’s evaluation of cheese curds from Solem’s Cheese Curds and Mini Donuts on the Minnesota State Fairgrounds. (Jared Kaufman / Pioneer Press)

3. Curds (original) at Miller’s Flavored Cheese Curds

Original cheese curds from Miller’s Flavored Cheese Curds are served at the Minnesota State Fair on Aug. 22, 2025. (Jared Kaufman / Pioneer Press)

Tasting notes: These curds are nicely cheesy and have a solid stretch, suggesting they were cooked appropriately. They’ve got a strong aroma and intense flavor, too, both of which are much appreciated. These are the saltiest of the traditional curds I evaluated. However, they’re also the greasiest, which both affects the eating experience and lends a slightly oily flavor.

Find it: on the east side of Nelson Street between Dan Patch and Carnes avenues, next to the Giant Slide

A graph shows food reporter and cheesemonger Jared Kaufman’s evaluation of original cheese curds from Miller’s Flavored Cheese Curds on the Minnesota State Fairgrounds. (Jared Kaufman / Pioneer Press)

2. Curds at The Big Cheese

Cheese curds from The Big Cheese are served at the Minnesota State Fair on Aug. 24, 2025. (Jared Kaufman / Pioneer Press)

Tasting notes: These curds are very good. The flavor is intense, and the acidity and savory qualities of the cheese itself are well-balanced. The batter has a crunchy, blistered texture, suggesting a hotter frying temperature. Although they are somewhat oily to the touch, this does not appear to affect the flavor. These are, dare I say, nearly as good as The Mouth Trap.

Find it: on the west side of Liggett Street at Carnes Avenue, just south of the Mighty Midway

A graph shows food reporter and cheesemonger Jared Kaufman’s evaluation of cheese curds from The Big Cheese on the Minnesota State Fairgrounds. (Jared Kaufman / Pioneer Press)

1. Curds at The Mouth Trap

Cheese curds from The Mouth Trap are served at the Minnesota State Fair on Aug. 24, 2025. (Jared Kaufman / Pioneer Press)

Tasting notes: The Fairgrounds’ best curd may come as no surprise to longtime Mouth Trap-lovers, but my data backs this up. They’re the most acidic and among the most savory of any Fair curd, which suggests a high-quality cheddar cheese, and they’re not overly salty. These curds are certainly the densest, too, with a nice balance between stretchiness and chew. The batter on these curds is also airy, which creates a satisfying shatter when you bite.

Find it: inside the Food Building

A graph shows food reporter and cheesemonger Jared Kaufman’s evaluation of cheese curds from The Mouth Trap on the Minnesota State Fairgrounds. (Jared Kaufman / Pioneer Press)

Division II: Non-Traditional Fried Cheese

5. Italian Motzza Frittas at Luigi Fries

Italian Motzza Frittas from Luigi Fries are served at the Minnesota State Fair on Aug. 22, 2025. (Jared Kaufman / Pioneer Press)

Tasting Notes: Not unlike a triangular mozzarella stick, the Italian spices in the breading shine through more strongly than the cheese itself, which somewhat disappointingly does not actually fill the entire inside cavity. These are quite aromatic, though, and are served mouth-burningly hot.

Find it: north side of Carnes Avenue between Chambers and Nelson streets, across from the DNR Building

A graph shows food reporter and cheesemonger Jared Kaufman’s evaluation of Italian Motzza Frittas from Luigi Fries on the Minnesota State Fairgrounds. (Jared Kaufman / Pioneer Press)

4. Deep-Fried Halloumi Cheese at Holy Land

Deep-fried halloumi from Holy Land is served at the Minnesota State Fair on Aug. 24, 2025. (Jared Kaufman / Pioneer Press)

Tasting Notes: Whereas pan-fried halloumi, a firm Mediterranean cheese, retains a squeakiness that’s familiar to Midwestern fresh-cheese-curd lovers, the deep-fried cheese here has a rough but creamy texture like ricotta, which does not strike me as honoring this cheese’s best qualities. The cheese itself is nicely savory, and it’s inside a wonton batter rather than dunked in liquid batter, which creates a little more resistance when you bite into it.

Find it: at the International Bazaar, southeast corner

A graph shows food reporter and cheesemonger Jared Kaufman’s evaluation of deep-fried halloumi from Holy Land on the Minnesota State Fairgrounds. (Jared Kaufman / Pioneer Press)

3. Caprese Curds at Lulu’s Public House

Caprese Curds from Lulu’s Public House are served at the Minnesota State Fair on Aug. 22, 2025. (Jared Kaufman / Pioneer Press)

Tasting Notes: These mozzarella-filled curds have been a bit unpredictable. Upon tasting them again for this evaluation, I was pleased to find them much softer and more elastic than they had been on the Fair’s opening day. For this evaluation, the curds were well-salted and nicely acidic, a quality also boosted by the balsamic drizzle. The batter is not as crunchy as I think it should have been, though, and tends to break off of the cheese.

Find it: at West End Market, south of Schilling Amphitheater, west section

A graph shows food reporter and cheesemonger Jared Kaufman’s evaluation of Caprese Curds from Lulu’s Public House on the Minnesota State Fairgrounds. (Jared Kaufman / Pioneer Press)

2. Scorchin’ Ghost Pepper Cheese Bites at Lulu’s Public House

Scorchin’ Ghost Pepper Cheese Curds from Lulu’s Public House are served at the Minnesota State Fair on Aug. 22, 2025. (Jared Kaufman / Pioneer Press)

Tasting Notes: These large, square curds are more creamy in texture than stretchy, but they have a very intense aroma and flavor. The spice, infused into the pepper cheese, is quite powerful and is a slow burn. These curds are not particularly salty nor acidic, but they do not need to be. An unexpected favorite.

Find it: at West End Market, south of Schilling Amphitheater, west section

A graph shows food reporter and cheesemonger Jared Kaufman’s evaluation of Scorchin’ Ghost Pepper Cheese Curds from Lulu’s Public House on the Minnesota State Fairgrounds. (Jared Kaufman / Pioneer Press)

1. Tirokroketes at Dino’s Gyros

Tirokroketes from Dino’s Gyros are served at the Minnesota State Fair on Aug. 22, 2025. (Jared Kaufman / Pioneer Press)

Tasting Notes: This is a fun Greek twist on fried cheese, sitting somewhere between a cheese curd and breaded pimento cheese. They have a very soft and moderately stretchy interior, and though the breading is arguably a bit too thick, they’re tangy and delicious.

Find it: north side of Carnes Avenue between Nelson and Underwood streets

A graph shows food reporter and cheesemonger Jared Kaufman’s evaluation of Tirokroketes from Dino’s Gyros on the Minnesota State Fairgrounds. (Jared Kaufman / Pioneer Press)

Division III: Sweet Curds

2. Wine-Fried Brie at Minnesota Wine Country

Wine-Fried Brie from Minnesota Wine Country is served at the Minnesota State Fair on Aug. 24, 2025. (Jared Kaufman / Pioneer Press)

Tasting Notes: These are closer to cheese-filled funnel cake bites than curds. The sweet batter contains red wine, hence the deep purple color, and is also a bit too sludgy, so it mutates during the frying process into unappetizing ridges and tendrils. I understand why brie would be a good cheese choice conceptually to pair with wine, and the silky texture is unique and pleasant, but the slight mushroomy flavor that makes traditional brie so good does not work well here. Plus, five for $13 is pretty pricey.

Find it: west side of Underwood Street between Carnes and Judson avenues

A graph shows food reporter and cheesemonger Jared Kaufman’s evaluation of Wine-Fried Brie from Minnesota Wine Country on the Minnesota State Fairgrounds. (Jared Kaufman / Pioneer Press)

1. Sweet Squeakers at The Blue Barn

Sweet Squeakers at the Blue Barn, a new food at the 2025 Minnesota State Fair. (John Autey / Pioneer Press)

Tasting Notes: These white-cheddar curds are coated in a sweet funnel cake batter, though the texture of the exterior almost feels closer to a breaded product than a battered one. Still, it has a nice shatter. The cheese has a very slight acidity and moderate saltiness — able to stand up to the sweet batter when you eat the curds alone, but not overpowering when paired with the lemon-curd whip and tart berry sauce. (This evaluation focuses on the curds alone.)

Find it: at West End Market, south of the History & Heritage Center

A graph shows food reporter and cheesemonger Jared Kaufman’s evaluation of Sweet Squeakers from The Blue Barn on the Minnesota State Fairgrounds. (Jared Kaufman / Pioneer Press)

Division IV: Cheese On A Stick

2. Cheese On-A-Stick at Crutchees

Cheese on a stick from Crutchees is served at the Minnesota State Fair on Aug. 22, 2025. (Jared Kaufman / Pioneer Press)

Tasting Notes: The American cheese inside this snack, which resembles a stubbier corn dog, has melted so significantly that much of it has soaked into the breading, causing me to feel like I’m just eating slightly cheesy fried dough. Not what I would prefer. The all-around flavor is also quite muted on all fronts, with the exception of a somewhat oily, bitter astringency from over-frying.

Find it: southeast corner of West Dan Patch Avenue and Liggett Street

A graph shows food reporter and cheesemonger Jared Kaufman’s evaluation of cheese-on-a-stick from Crutchees on the Minnesota State Fairgrounds. (Jared Kaufman / Pioneer Press)

1. Battered Deep-Fried Swiss Cheese On-A-Stick at Fresh Lemonade — Cheese On A Stick

Cheese on a stick from Fresh Lemonade—Cheese On A Stick is served at the Minnesota State Fair on Aug. 24, 2025. (Jared Kaufman / Pioneer Press)

Tasting Notes: Quite similar conceptually to the other cheese-on-a-stick entry, but this product had a darker color, a more intact cheese interior and a stronger astringent undertone, suggesting a hot quick-and-dirty frying technique. Very low salt content and flavor intensity.

Find it: west side of Nelson Street between Dan Patch and Carnes avenues

A graph shows food reporter and cheesemonger Jared Kaufman’s evaluation of cheese on a stick from Fresh Lemonade—Cheese On A Stick on the Minnesota State Fairgrounds. (Jared Kaufman / Pioneer Press)

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By DARLENE SUPERVILLE, Associated Press

WASHINGTON (AP) — Melania Trump on Tuesday invited students in grades K-12 to participate in a government-sponsored nationwide contest that is designed to encourage them to work together to use artificial intelligence tools to solve community issues.

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“As someone who created an AI-powered audio book and championed online safety through the Take It Down Act, I’ve seen firsthand the promise of this powerful technology,” the first lady says in a short video announcing the Presidential AI Challenge. “Now, I pass the torch of innovation to you.”

“Just as America once led the world into the skies, we are poised to lead again,” she continued. “This time, in the age of AI.”

Every student from kindergarten through 12th grade is invited to “unleash their imagination and showcase the spirit of American innovation,” Trump said.

Students who sign up will complete a project using an artificial intelligence method or tool to address a community challenge.

Michael Kratsios, director of the White House science and technology office, said the possibilities for the projects are “endless” but the aim of the challenge is to get students to work together since they will use artificial intelligence in adulthood.

“We want to have America’s youth plugged in and working on and using AI tools,” he said Tuesday during an interview on Fox News Channel’s “Fox and Friends.”

Registration opens Tuesday on the website. An adult mentor or teacher must sponsor a team. Submissions are due by the end of December. Regional competitions will be held in the spring, followed by a White House event with the national winners, Kratsios said.

The contest was called for in an executive order signed by President Donald Trump on advancing artificial intelligence education for American youth.

The first lady announced in May that audio version of her 2024 memoir, “Melania,” was “narrated entirely using artificial intelligence — in my own voice.”

She also highlighted a negative side to AI when she lobbied Congress to pass legislation imposing penalties for online sexual exploitation using imagery that is real or an AI-generated deepfake. President Trump signed the Take It Down Act into law in May and had the first lady sign it, too.

By BASSEM MROUE and KAREEM CHEHAYEB

BEIRUT (AP) — Saudi Arabia and Qatar are ready to invest in an economic zone in south Lebanon near the border with Israel that would create jobs for members of the militant Hezbollah group and its supporters once they lay down their weapons, President Donald Trump’s envoy to the Middle East said Tuesday.

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Tom Barrack made his comments in Beirut after trips to Israel and Syria where he discussed with officials there the ongoing situation in Lebanon following this month’s decision by the Lebanese government to disarm Hezbollah by the end of the year. Hezbollah’s leader rejected the government’s plan, vowing to keep the weapons.

On Monday, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Israeli forces could begin withdrawing from territory they hold in southern Lebanon after the Lebanese government’s “momentous decision” to disarm Hezbollah.

The U.S.-backed Lebanese army is preparing a plan for Hezbollah’s disarmament that should be ready by the end of August. The government is expected to discuss the army’s plan and approve it during a meeting scheduled for Sept. 2.

“We have to have money coming into the system. The money will come from the Gulf,” Barrack told reporters after meeting President Joseph Aoun. “Qatar and Saudi Arabia are partners and are willing to do that for the south (of Lebanon) if we’re asking a portion of the Lebanese community to give up their livelihood.”

“We have 40,000 people that are being paid by Iran to fight. What are you gonna do with them? Take their weapon and say ‘by the way, good luck planting olive trees’? It can’t happen. We have to help them,” Barrack said. He was referring to tens of thousands of Hezbollah members who have been funded since the early 1980s by Tehran.

“We, all of us, the Gulf, the U.S., the Lebanese are all gonna act together to create an economic forum that is gonna produce a livelihood,” Barrack said.

When asked why the U.S. doesn’t go to discuss the Hezbollah issue directly with Iran rather than traveling to Israel and Syria, Barrack said: “You think that’s not happening? Goodbye.” Barrack then ended his news conference and walked out of the room.

Speaking on the U.N. peacekeeping force that has been deployed in south Lebanon since Israel first invaded the country in 1978, Barrack said the U.S. would rather fund the Lebanese army than the force that is known as UNIFIL. Speaking about this week’s vote at the United Nations in New York, Barrack said the U.S. backs extending UNIFIL’s term for one year only.

Conflict escalated to war in September 2024, before November ceasefire

A low-level conflict between Israel and Hezbollah started a day after the Oct. 7, 2023, Hamas-led attack against Israel from Gaza, when Hezbollah began launching rockets across the border in support of its Palestinian ally. The conflict escalated into war in September 2024 and left more than 4,000 people dead, and caused destruction worth $11 billion in Lebanon, according to the World Bank.

The war ended in November with a U.S.-brokered ceasefire and since then Hezbollah says it has ended its presence along the border area. Israel has continued almost daily airstrikes that have killed dozens of Hezbollah members.

Amnesty International in a report released Tuesday said it had identified more than 10,000 buildings that were “heavily damaged or destroyed” in southern Lebanon between October 2024 and January this year.

Israeli forces remained in much of the border area for weeks after the ceasefire agreement went into effect and are still holding five strategic points.

Amnesty’s report alleged that Israeli forces may have violated international law by destroying civilian property in areas they were controlling with “manually laid explosives and bulldozers” after the active fighting had ended and there was no longer an “imperative military necessity.”

Barrack chides journalists before news conference, provoking ire

At the start of the joint news conference with U.S. envoy Morgan Ortagus, Barrack warned journalists at the presidential palace to be quiet, telling them to “act civilized, act kind, act tolerant.” He threatened to end the conference early otherwise.

U.S. Ambassador to Turkey and Special Envoy to Syria Tom Barrack, left, speaks during a joint press conference with U.S. deputy special envoy for Middle East peace Morgan Ortagus, after their meeting with Lebanese President Joseph Aoun, at the presidential palace in Baabda, east of Beirut, Lebanon, Tuesday, Aug. 26, 2025. (AP Photo/Hussein Malla)

“The moment that this starts becoming chaotic, like animalistic, we’re gone,” said Barrack. He then asked: “Do you think this is economically beneficial for Morgan and I to be here putting up with this insanity?”

None of the journalists present responded to his comments but the Lebanese press syndicate issued a statement about the “inappropriate treatment” that the Lebanese journalists were subjected to and called on Barrack and the State Department to apologize. It added that if no apology were made, it could escalate by calling for boycotting Barrack’s visits and meeting.

The Presidential Palace also issued a statement regretting the comments made by “one of our guests” and greeted journalists who cover news at the palace, thanking them for their “hard work.”

Associated Press writer Abby Sewell contributed to this report.

By ROD McGUIRK

MELBOURNE, Australia (AP) — Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has accused Iran of organizing two antisemitic attacks in Australia and said the country was cutting off diplomatic relations with Tehran in response on Tuesday.

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The Australian Security Intelligence Organization, or ASIO, concluded that Iran had directed arson attacks on the Lewis Continental Kitchen, a kosher food company in Sydney, in October 2024 and on Melbourne’s Adass Israel Synagogue two months later, Albanese said.

Shortly before the announcement, the Australian government told Iran’s Ambassador to Australia Ahmad Sadeghi that he will be expelled. It also withdrew Australian diplomats posted in Iran to a third country, Albanese said.

An alert to Australians in Iran noted the embassy’s closure and urged them to “strongly consider leaving as soon as possible, if it is safe to do so.”

“Foreigners in Iran, including Australians and dual Australian-Iranian nationals, are at a high risk of arbitrary detention or arrest,” the warning read.

Australia updated its warning to travelers to its highest level: “Do not travel” to Iran.

Iran’s government denied the allegations, while its foreign minister, Abbas Araghchi, called Albanese a “weak politician.”

“Iran is paying the price for the Australian people’s support for Palestine,” Araghchi wrote on the social platform X. “Canberra should know better than to attempt to appease a regime led by war criminals.”

Last week Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu also branded Albanese a “weak politician who had betrayed Israel” after an Aug. 11 announcement by Albanese that his government’s recognition of a Palestinian state will be formalized at the United Nations General Assembly in September.

‘Dangerous acts of aggression’

Police have already arrested at least one suspect in the Sydney cafe fire investigation and two suspects directly accused of torching the Melbourne synagogue.

Fire crews and police at the scene of a fire at the Adass Israel Synagogue in Ripponlea, Melbourne, Australia, Dec. 6, 2024. (Con Chronis/AAP Image via AP)

Sayed Mohammed Moosawi, a 32-year-old Sydney-based former chapter president of the Nomads biker gang, has been charged with directing the fire bombings of the Sydney café as well as the nearby Curly Lewis Brewery. The brewery was apparently confused for the café and mistakenly targeted three days earlier for an antisemitic attack.

Giovanni Laulu, a 21-year-old man from Melbourne, was charged last month with being one of three masked arsonists who caused extensive damage to the synagogue in December.

A second alleged arsonist, a 20-year-old man also from Melbourne, is expected to appear in court Wednesday, a police statement said. He has not been publicly named.

“ASIO has now gathered enough credible intelligence to reach a deeply disturbing conclusion,” Albanese told reporters. “The Iranian government directed at least two of these attacks. Iran has sought to disguise its involvement but ASIO assesses it was behind the attacks.

“These were extraordinary and dangerous acts of aggression orchestrated by a foreign nation on Australian soil,” he said. “They were attempts to undermine social cohesion and sow discord in our community. It is totally unacceptable.”

Australia’s Foreign Minister Penny Wong said that Canberra would keep some diplomatic lines open to Tehran to advance Australia’s interests. She added that it was the first time Australia has expelled an ambassador since World War II.

Terrorist organization

Albanese said that Australia will legislate to list Iran’s Revolutionary Guard as a terrorist organization.

Australia’s law makes providing support to a listed terrorist organization a crime.

Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese, right, and Director-General of ASIO Mike Burgess speak to the media during a press conference at Parliament House in Canberra, Australia, Tuesday, Aug. 26, 2025. (Lukas Coch/AAP Image via AP)

The government has previously rejected calls to list the Revolutionary Guard under existing terrorism laws because it is a government entity.

Iran’s paramilitary Revolutionary Guard has been accused of carrying out attacks abroad in the past, though it broadly denies any involvement. The Guard’s Quds, or Jerusalem, Force is its expeditionary arm and is accused by Western nations of using local militants and criminals in the past to target dissidents and Israelis abroad.

A spokesperson for the Executive Council of Australian Jewry welcomed the terrorist designation for the Revolutionary Guard, adding in a statement that the group was “outraged” that a foreign actor was behind the crimes.

“Foremost, these were attacks that deliberately targeted Jewish Australians, destroyed a sacred house of worship, caused millions of dollars of damage, and terrified our community,” the statement said.

Since the outbreak of the Israel-Hamas war, Israel has arrested several people on charges they had been paid or encouraged by Iran to carry out vandalism and monitor potential targets there.

‘A matter of community cohesion’

Iran denied Australia’s allegations through its Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmail Baghaei, who tried to link it to the challenges Australia faced with Israel after announcing it would recognize a Palestinian state.

“It looks like that the action, which is against Iran, diplomacy and the relations between the two nations, is a compensation for the criticism that the Australians had against the Zionist regime,” Baghaei claimed.

Albanese previously resisted calls to expel Iran’s envoy to Canberra before, analysts said, including in 2024 when Sadeghi was summoned for meetings with foreign ministry officials over his social media posts.

Michael Shoebridge, a former Australian defense and security official and director of the think tank Strategic Analysis Australia, said he didn’t believe the move was prompted by Israel’s complaints.

“I don’t think that’s a matter of Australia-Israel relations, but a matter of community cohesion here in Australia,” he said.

Suspected foreign actors

There has been a steep rise in antisemitic incidents in Sydney and Melbourne since the Israel-Hamas war began in 2023.

Australian authorities have previously said they suspect that foreign actors are paying local criminals-for-hire to carry out attacks in the country.

Neither ASIO director-general Mike Burgess nor Albanese explained what evidence there was of Iranian involvement.

Burgess said no Iranian diplomats in Australia were involved.

“This was directed by the IRGC through a series of overseas cut-out facilitators to coordinators that found their way to tasking Australians,” Burgess said.

While antisemitic incidents increased in Australian after the Israel-Hamas war began on Oct. 7 2023, Iran was responsible for a transition in October last year when the violence more directly targeted people, businesses and places of worship, Burgess said.

“Iran started the first of those,” Burgess said.

Previous versions of this story incorrectly reported that Albanese accused Iran of directing an attack on a Melbourne mosque rather than a Melbourne synagogue, and incorrectly spelled the name of that synagogue. It was the Adass Israel Synagogue.

Jon Gambrell in Dubai, United Arab Emirates; Charlotte Graham-McLay in Wellington, New Zealand; and Nasser Karimi in Tehran, Iran contributed to this report.