Just what is American "cheese" anyway?
Asked by
janbb (
62877
)
January 28th, 2010
Home from work and desperate for a snack. Nothing savory in the cabinet. Wait! there’s some American “cheese” left in the fridge from….when? Grilled a sandwich; tasted great in that salty, creamy American “cheesey” way. So – here’s the question (wait for it.) I can’t remember when I bought that stuff; I think it was before my kid left home last spring. What the hell is it really made of?
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48 Answers
It’s pasteurized processed cheese-food.
Blech.
It’s made of milkfat, whey, milk, milk protein concentrate, whey protein concentrate, and salt.
The most disgusting food I ever saw was a grocery store in Anaheim; it was called ”imitation pasteurized processed American cheese-food”. Just eat a banana or something, jeez…
@DominicX
wow that sounds disgusting, worse than dick cheese even.
Goodness and joy…and God knows what else, but it melts mighty fine
The highest calorie, most nutritionally deficient cheese.
Calling that stuff cheese is being too kind.
I know everything makes me think of The Simpsons, but there was that one episode when Homer ate 64 squares of American cheese.
Marge: Homer, have you been up all night eating cheese?
Homer: I think I’m blind…
@DominicX Hahaha :D For every situation in life there is a Simpsons quote to go with it.
“American Cheese is not cheese, at least in the traditional ‘Separate curds from whey and then pack the curds’ cheese-making process that, y’know, actually makes real cheese. That’s not to say that there isn’t real cheese in American cheese. There is. But the cheese is also processed with emulsifiers, preservatives (sometimes something as simple as salt, other times with various chemical compounds) and often food coloring. These additives are what make defining American Cheese so difficult.
You see, each type of cheese out there is based off of a well defined enzyme that gives it a particular taste. That’s one of the items that makes the difference between a Gruyere and an Edam (another items is the process in which enzymes and bacteria are introduced to the cheese, but that’s a different post). Whether you take bite of an high quality Edam or one of mediocre quality, you should still be able to say “This is an Edam Cheese”.
American Cheese is not really based off of taste as much as texture. American Cheese holds together very well and melts into a gooey blancmange. It’s why we tend to use the cheese on burgers and other heated sandwiches: because it adds a gooey texture to the sandwich that we find palatable.”
The Accidental Hedonist
Some American “cheeses” are made without milk products at all, but with hydrogenated oils and artificial emulsifiers.
“American cheese” is a contradiction.
like “American Beer” and “American Intelligence”.
joking, but seriously, all the best American cheese and beer is Canadian.
All the talent went North and the childish fizzy-pop and plastic-cheese lovers went south.
Emulsifiers – now there’s something that sounds like it should be in things we digest. No, thanks.
It never spoils because it’s a vinyl byproduct.
@ratboy I think you’re the one with the real answer!
now i realize the singles stuff is fake blah cheese stuff, but what about like deli american cheese?
It’s what the French call a nondescript amalgam of protein and fat molecules which at some point in its past originated from white liquids produced by the mammary glands of American cattle. No offense. I’m just quoting a French friend who lived in the US for several months trying to get over culture shock.
Fuckin’ French.. I mean hey those French are really honest..
@SeventhSense – When you travel to France and try some of their cheese…
@mattbrowne
I guess the French react the same way a German would react when he has to drive an american car.
The French react the same way a German, Brit, or any other European would react,
when he has to:
– Drive an American car, or use any other form of American public transport,
except your aeroplanes, of which you should all be damn proud!
– Eat American cheese, sausage, bread, ice cream, or any other form of American food,
except your steak, of which you should all be damn proud!
– Drink American beer, wine, whiskey, coffee, or any other form of American drink,
except your Coca-Cola, of which you should all be damn proud!
So apparently aeroplanes, steak and Coca-Cola are what the Americans do best.
@ragingloli – The real trouble is bread. You grew up and live in Germany, right? Ever lived in the US for an extended period? The French miss their cheese. The Germans miss their bread. But more and more cities now offer European-style bakeries. Same with beer. Microbreweries offer beer which is as good as European beer. Globalization of good food, yay!
True, true.
You Americans should be damn proud of those microbrewers,
some of them are pretty good (says the Englishman!).
@mattbrowne
I know. French food is by and large vastly superior to American food. But in NY- you can find as many varieties of Cheese as Paris. They have laws in France about food content and I don’t think you could even lawfully claim American Cheese was even cheese in France. Even their butter is superior. We have regional dishes which blow them away though- a NY pizza, A Texas Ribeye, Tennessee BarbQ, Cajun Shrimp etc.
I dated a French girl and “she was always like thees ees not food thees ees not pastry…and I was like, “it’s a fuckin’ donut honey..just dip it in the coffee”..meanwhile they’d be eating streudel if it wasn’t for us. We should get free cheese for life.:)
@SeventhSense I think you dipped your donut in the coffee once too much today. Come swim in my pond and chill out!
@janbb
LOL. Speaking of dipping.. She was cute though..high maintenance but cute
@SeventhSense Zat is zee trouble with zee French; zey are zo cute!
Oh indeed, I ate in that cafe in September. We were in a flat two blocks down from it.
@SeventhSense – Oh yes, in large cities you get everything. But I always wondered why the term ‘American cheese’ is used for marketing. Except for the hardcore patriots, everybody else would pick the French cheese. If it’s available. And affordable.
@mattbrowne
Yes it’s shit I agree. A good domestic sharp cheddar is vastly superior…
but the melting (low viscosity) is hard to beat
Why melt Americheese, when you can melt extra-mature cheddar?
It is called textured and it is a good thing… õ.O
Plus, what exactly is the point of eating something with no texture AND no taste?
@The_Idler
Many things are as much for their texture and adaptability as anything else. Tofu is a perfect example. Not much but its wonder is its application to take on other flavors and spices. For American Cheese I can think of no better topping for nachos with salsa and spices. Cheddar doesn’t work as well.
no, not Cheddar and nachos.
A melted mozzarella, on the other hand, is far superior to plasticheese in that circumstance.
Face it, American Cheese is only good for mass-production.
Nothin’ better for meltin’.
In your case the stolen cheese…—or in other words not cho cheese dude
If we chance to meet someday, my friend, allow me to cook for you,
and ye shall Know.
I make bacon and egg ‘McMuffins’ at home.
Yes, I melt extra-mature cheddar in there.
@The_Idler
Mrs. Robinson are you trying to seduce me?:P
@The_Idler
And I’ll be glad to take you for a seriously good slice of pizza if you’re ever this side of the Atlantic.
Can it be better than Italian pizza though?
I’ve heard great things about NYC pizza, but…really?
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