Canadian poet James McIntyre wrote his best-known poem, 'Ode on the Mammoth Cheese Weighing Over 7,000 Pounds,' to commemorate a giant block of cheddar cheese produced in Ingersoll, Ontario, in 1866. The poem, which opened with the lines 'We have seen thee, queen of cheese,' celebrates the cheese's immense size and the agricultural prowess of Canada. McIntyre, known as 'The Cheese Poet,' became famous for his many odes to cheese.

McIntyre's 'Ode on the Mammoth Cheese' is one of the most famous cheese poems in the English language, often cited as a classic of unintentional humor and a prime example of Victorian occasional verse. The poem's mock-heroic style and relentless celebration of dairy products have inspired countless parodies and tributes, and it remains a beloved example of how poetry can elevate the ordinary to the sublime. It has secured its place in Canadian literary history.