Chef Luke Zahm: This might be my dream job.

Jumping in the van to drive across the State, meeting new people, hearing the different stories of the people who produce our food and how they experience it. I’m finding that often, my assumptions about food are challenged- which opens doors to new and exciting conversations. 

Such is the case in our native sausage, one of our culinary staples, and one of the foods for which we are renowned: the mighty bratwurst. 

I’ve been eating brats for as long as I can remember. My family enjoyed a simple tradition- a summer evening, a warm grill after the day wound down, the smells of charcoal and the sausages cooking in the smoke. I remember the kitchen table with my mom’s condiment bowls that included sauerkraut, diced white onion and, of course, the obligatory ketchup and mustard. As I matured, the condiments were slowly reduced- however, the kraut and mustard remained. Even my experiences at Lambeau and Camp Randall were punctuated by a bratwurst with mustard and kraut (bonus points if the kraut is warm). I assumed that all true bratwurst affectionados shared my same lens, and I was forced to shed the blinders of arrogance in my sausage eating. 

Sheboygan changed everything for me. Participating in the brat making process early in the shoot opened my eyes to the mystique and conversations around the “hard roll”, a local delicacy that took the Wisconsin brat tradition to a new level. Folks in Sheboygan were opinionated about how they took their brats- and most of them shunned the kraut, wheat bun and ketchup. Hard rolls, onions, mustard and the double brat were the standard in a place where the bratwurst is king- everything else was exotic! 

As you eat your way around Wisconsin, keep your eyes peeled and your ears sharp to challenge your dining assumptions through the State. You’ll be surprised to learn that our food traditions are as diverse as our stories- and we’ll be there to tell them with you. 

Forever Forward, 

Luke