This post actually seems a bit light on the facts. Colby may be one type of cheese that originated in WI but I’m not sure we consider it our signature cheese, which would almost certainly be cheese curds. Colby itself isn’t a blend, but you can often find it blended with Monterrey Jack, a similarly mild, but white cheese.
As for the libelous “bland” comment, it seems likely you haven’t stepped into a WI cheese shop within the last few decades. WI produces hundreds of cheeses with aged/sharp cheddars being some of the finest. Take a gander at the 2019 US Championship Cheese Contest results and it’s clear that WI dominates in most categories.
I was in that one in, I think, Delavan a few years ago. I bought a bit of that 7y/o stuff which, to my palate, seemed a bit unbalanced. And the price, well, I can get a 5lb brick of Tillamook White for what that Wisconsin stuff goes for the pound and it has better flavor balance at only 2 years. I found one store in Mad City that had one flavor of Tillamook for lactose intolerants or somesuch, but that is the only place in Wisconsin that had any kind of it, which seems no accident, as they could never handle the competition.
Note that I am only interested in foods with a State in the name (or province or equivalent in other countries). I know there are lots of examples of other locations.
Here is what I have so far (I may have missed one):
US:
Alabama
Alaska
California
Florida
Georgia
Idaho
Kentucky
Maine
Maryland
Mississippi
New Mexico
New York
Rhode Island
Texas
Utah (good one! I would have thought Utah would be one of the most difficult to find a food with it in the name)
Vermont
Virginia (missed that on my prior list)
Washington
Canada:
Nova Scotia
Yukon (Yukon Gold potatoes - altho I don’t think they are from there - another marketing thing)
There’s the Iowa chop, an especially thick and succulent pork chop which I am now developing a hankering for.
It’s the state tree. I have two planted in my yard by a previous homeowner, who apparently didn’t care that Ohio buckeyes have little in the way of floral display and drop leaves in late summer with (usually) minimal fall color.
Mrs. J. once worked with a woman named Virginia Ham (or Hamm). She went by Ginny Ham.
The Arkansas Black is a variety of apple with excellent keeping qualities. It actually improves after it’s been stored a few months. Arkansas Black - Wikipedia
“bland” comment, it seems likely you haven’t stepped into a WI cheese shop within the last few decades. WI produces hundreds of cheeses with aged/sharp cheddars being some of the finest. Take a gander at the 2019 US Championship Cheese Contest results and it’s clear that WI dominates in most categories.