Signing of the Declaration of Independence, Sculpted in Wisconsin Cheddar

It's patriotic, and tastes great on crackers!


(from Oddly Enough / photo by Lucas Jackson, Reuters, used w/o permission)

"Big cheese carving celebrates Independence Day"
Reuters (July 3, 2008)

"NEW YORK (Reuters) - A sculpture of the signing of the Declaration of Independence made from a one-tonne block of cheddar cheese glistened on the sidewalk of Times Square in New York on Thursday as an artist's tribute to the Fourth of July.

" 'It's very patriotic, using the signing of the Declaration of Independence, bringing Americans together for the Fourth,' said Troy Landwehr, who carved the sculpture for cracker company Cheez-It to celebrate U.S. Independence Day.

"He worked eight hours a day for a week in a 40-degree cooler carving the block of Wisconsin cheddar."

That 2,000-pound chunk of cheese isn't going to waste. After being on display in New York and Philadelphia, it's going back to Wisconsin: where it'll be donated to food pantries. It should still be good to eat then. Mr. Landwehr's coated it in cooking oil, which keeps it from drying and cracking.