National String Cheese Day
September 20
About National String Cheese Day
National String Cheese Day is celebrated every year on 20 September, and in 2026 it falls on Sunday, 20 September. The day honours one of America’s most popular snack foods: the peelable, portable mozzarella stick found in lunchboxes, fridges, and supermarket chiller aisles across the country. It is a light-hearted food holiday that invites cheese lovers of all ages to pull apart a stick and enjoy a simple, satisfying treat.
How to Celebrate National String Cheese Day
The whole point of National String Cheese Day is to enjoy string cheese, so the best way to mark it is to grab a stick and get peeling. Here are plenty of ideas to make the most of the day:
- Peel it the proper way – String cheese is designed to be pulled apart along its grain rather than bitten straight through. Spend a moment peeling a stick into thin strands the way it was meant to be eaten.
- Host a taste test – Buy a few different brands, from supermarket own-label to Frigo and Galbani, and compare them for saltiness, stringiness, and flavour with friends or family.
- Pack it in a lunchbox – String cheese is a lunchbox staple for good reason. Add a stick to your own packed lunch or a child’s, alongside fruit and crackers, for a protein-rich snack.
- Wrap it in something tasty – Roll a stick in a slice of ham or turkey, tuck it into a tortilla wrap, or fold it into a slice of bread for a quick savoury bite.
- Make fried mozzarella sticks – Coat string cheese in breadcrumbs, freeze it briefly, and fry or air-fry until golden. Serve with marinara sauce for a homemade twist on a restaurant favourite.
- Add it to a recipe – Tear string cheese into a salad, melt it over a baked potato, or stuff it into the crust of a homemade pizza or a batch of garlic bread.
- Share with the kids – String cheese is a firm favourite with children. Use the day as an excuse for a fun after-school snack and show younger ones the satisfying art of peeling.
- Post your peel online – Snap a photo of the longest, thinnest string you can pull and share it on social media to spread the word about the day.
What is National String Cheese Day?
National String Cheese Day is an annual food holiday dedicated to string cheese, the snack-sized mozzarella stick that peels apart into stringy strands. It is a celebration of convenience, fun, and family-friendly snacking rather than a formal awareness campaign. The day is embraced by cheese brands, parents, snack fans, and anyone who appreciates a quick hit of protein that doubles as a small bit of entertainment. If you enjoy this kind of food holiday, you might also like Goat Cheese Day, another celebration of a much-loved cheese.
When is National String Cheese Day?
National String Cheese Day takes place on 20 September every year. In 2026 it falls on Sunday, 20 September. It is a fixed-date observance, so it lands on the same calendar day each year regardless of which day of the week that happens to be, making it easy to plan a snack-filled celebration in advance.
The History of National String Cheese Day
National String Cheese Day was founded in 2017 by Galbani Cheese, one of the leading cheese brands in the United States, to celebrate the country’s enduring love of string cheese. The day was registered with the National Day Calendar and set for 20 September, giving the popular snack its own permanent place on the annual food-holiday calendar.
The snack itself has a far longer story than the holiday. String cheese as Americans know it was invented in 1976 by Frank Baker of Baker Cheese in St Cloud, Wisconsin, after the company began receiving requests for snack-sized pieces of mozzarella. Baker developed a way to produce the cheese in individual cylindrical sticks, and improvements in packaging soon extended its shelf life and made it a practical grab-and-go food.
String cheese also has deeper roots beyond the United States. A similar product, known as quesillo or Oaxaca-style string cheese, is widely credited to Leobarda Castellanos García, who is said to have created it in Mexico in 1885 at the age of 14. The technique behind all of these cheeses traces back to mozzarella, which originated in the Campania region of Italy and was traditionally made from buffalo milk.
Fun Facts About National String Cheese Day
- String cheese gets its stringy texture from a process called pasta filata, in which heated mozzarella curd is stretched so that its proteins line up into long, peelable strands.
- The proteins align when mozzarella is heated to around 60 degrees Celsius and then stretched, which is why warm string cheese pulls apart so easily.
- Frank Baker’s 1976 invention in Wisconsin is widely regarded as the birth of American string cheese as a packaged snack.
- The string cheese market was valued at around 5.1 billion US dollars in 2025, with the United States accounting for roughly a fifth of global demand.
- Galbani, the brand that founded the day, is one of the best-known cheese makers in the world and produces a wide range of Italian-style cheeses.
- Cheese consumption in the United States has risen by around 19 percent over the past decade, according to figures from the US Department of Agriculture, reflecting growing demand for convenient dairy snacks.
Why National String Cheese Day Matters
Even a playful food holiday has its purpose. National String Cheese Day celebrates a snack that delivers protein and calcium in a convenient, portion-controlled form, making it a practical choice for busy families. It also shines a light on the dairy farmers and cheese makers behind the product, and it gives people a simple, joyful reason to gather, share, and have a bit of fun with their food.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is National String Cheese Day?
National String Cheese Day is an annual food holiday celebrating string cheese, the snack-sized mozzarella stick that peels into strands. It was founded by Galbani Cheese in 2017 to honour America’s love of the snack.
When is National String Cheese Day in 2026?
National String Cheese Day takes place on Sunday, 20 September 2026. It is a fixed-date observance held on 20 September every year.
Who invented string cheese?
String cheese as Americans know it was invented in 1976 by Frank Baker of Baker Cheese in St Cloud, Wisconsin. A similar product, Oaxaca-style quesillo, is credited to Leobarda Castellanos García in Mexico in 1885.
Spread the Word
Join the celebration and share your longest, stringiest peel on social media with #NationalStringCheeseDay and #StringCheeseDay2026. Tag your friends and challenge them to take part!
Related Awareness Days
- Goat Cheese Day – Another day dedicated to a much-loved cheese, perfect for fellow cheese enthusiasts.
- National Cheesesteak Day – Celebrates the cheesy Philadelphia sandwich and the joy of melted cheese done well.
- National Pizza Day – A global favourite that puts stretchy, stringy mozzarella centre stage.
Links
- Visit the National Day Calendar page for National String Cheese Day
- Explore more awareness days at AwarenessDays.com
Featured image: Photo by laura novara on Unsplash.
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