I'd rather be known for Swiss cheese than American cheese. At least Swiss is actually cheese and not a cheese product. American cheese is nasty. It baffles me people not only eat it, but also like it

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gerdesj 4 days ago | parent | next [-]

There are largely three types of cheese in the US: Swiss, American and Cheddar. I live near to Cheddar (Somerset, UK) but I'm not going to get too outraged.

All countries, without exception, do something unpleasant to an ingredient or dish that the rest of the world will cry foul over. It is the way of things.

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eru 4 days ago | parent | next [-]

I'm always somewhat amused that British supermarkets seem to have a cheese section and right next to it a Cheddar section. (Ie Cheddars take up as much space as all the other kinds of cheeses combined.)

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gerdesj 4 days ago | parent [-]

Are you sure? I live within 1 mile of Tesco, Morrisons, Lidl (OK) and within say five miles of a lot more supermarkets and all the cheeses are mixed up somewhat across the aisles. I will have to stray to Sherborne or Crewkerne for the really exotic mob (Waitrose).

I'm quite partial to Somerset brie and I'm putting my head up over the parapet here 8)

	▲	eru 4 days ago \| parent [-]
		Well, I mostly lived in the UK in the 2010s. Perhaps things have changed in the meantime?

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dragonwriter 3 days ago | parent | prev | next [-]

> There are largely three types of cheese in the US: Swiss, American and Cheddar.

All sources I can find have cheddar #1 and mozzarella either #2 or #3 (with cream cheese #2 when moz is #3) in the US. American is behind them and Swiss is way back behind a bunch of other things including Jack and various blends.

Swiss/American/Cheddar might be the big three for a particular sandwich shop, but...

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maxerickson 4 days ago | parent | prev | next [-]

Did you form this picture of US cheese after visiting a hot dog cart?

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selectodude 4 days ago | parent [-]

Few things are more popular among Europeans than making up ignorant nonsense about how dumb and backwards Americans are.

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tomnipotent 4 days ago | parent [-]

My favorite is that we don't have bakeries or endless varieties of fresh bread.

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JumpCrisscross 4 days ago | parent [-]

Americans are richer per capita than Europeans. Particularly when it comes to disposable purchasing power in a foreign country. A lot of European stereotypes about America are filtered through both tourist traps and cost constraints.

(For a similar effect in respect of Europe, see the median Russian tourist summarizing Western Europe.)

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elzbardico 4 days ago | parent [-]

Switzerland and Norway usually have a higher per capita gdp than the US. Most Western European countries are not so dramatically behind the US. But on the other hand, European countries have far less income inequality than the US, and less poverty. Then, not everything is about money. Culture matters a lot when it comes to food.

	▲	JumpCrisscross 4 days ago \| parent \| next [-]
		> Switzerland and Norway usually have a higher per capita gdp than the US And strong currencies. You don’t get this bias in either, generally. > on the other hand, European countries have far less income inequality than the US, and less poverty Irrelevant. I’m not saying one is superior to the other. Just that the median European tourist probably isn’t experiencing any American city or town like the median American who lives there. This is partly due to tourist effects. But it’s also due to cost. After GDP/capita differentials and FX effects, you’re comparing drastically different worlds. (Same for Americans traveling to Europe and, outside a few pricy capitals, generally finding a cheap, luxurious holiday.)
	▲	tick_tock_tick 4 days ago \| parent \| prev [-]
		> Switzerland and Norway usually have a higher per capita gdp than the US. But lower median disposable income. Europe mostly just poor.

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tomnipotent 4 days ago | parent | prev | next [-]

Processed cheese is ~20% of the US market, and Swiss cheese is less than 3%. Mozzarella by itself is something like 30%.

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electroglyph 4 days ago | parent | prev [-]

hey, you forgot #4 and #5: queso fresco and cotija in the southwest. we also import and make plenty of other good cheeses =)

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542458 4 days ago | parent | prev | next [-]

Not all American cheese is “cheese product”. American cheese is, broadly speaking, “normal” cheese blended with emulsifiers and additives. The deli-style ones have minimal additives and are still legally real cheese.

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creddit 4 days ago | parent | prev [-]

American cheese is just cheese with an emulsifier, sodium citrate, added that makes it so that it doesn’t break when melted.

At most it adds a slight amount of acidity and makes for a very attractive melting property. There’s not really anything disgusting about it for most people because most people find its melting properties to be a positive.

Hating American cheese is an affect people adopt for the same reason people adopt an affect of hating mayo: certain cultural elements tell them to.

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bobthepanda 4 days ago | parent | next [-]

The technical definition of American cheese is that.

In practice, unless you are going to look specifically for it, Kraft, Velveeta et. al. are more than happy to sell you "American cheese product" which does not meet FDA standards for labeling for American cheese, and in practice a lot of people criticizing American cheese are actually criticizing cheese product, which is what is super easy to find both in American supermarkets and abroad.

Europeans also generally take offense at some of the stuff in American supermarkets that has implied labeling like European cheese, like the powdered Kraft Parmesan.

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pests 4 days ago | parent | next [-]

Unless you are buying the absolute cheapest package of cheese slices it will still be real cheese. I'm not even sure if I've ever even seen a Kraft or Valveeta sliced cheese product, only lesser no-name brands. I've been am American all my life and do not buy process cheese product as it does take like plastic, but actual American cheese is delicious on burgers and grilled cheeses and a few other select meals.

What's crazy is Europe allowing 5% non-milk-fat/vegetable fat products to be called "ice cream". Thankfully in America it has to be 10% milkfat at least.

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bobthepanda 4 days ago | parent [-]

The hero image for Kraft Singles on Wikipedia clearly states “Pasteurized prepared cheese product” https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Kraft_Singles.jpg

It is a sleight of hand that it says American, but it specifically does not say American cheese as a single phrase.

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PopAlongKid 3 days ago | parent [-]

You are looking at the wrong product. This one[0] does say "American cheese" as a single phrase. And the slices are not individually wrapped, as they don't need to be.

[0]https://www.kraftheinz.com/kraft-deli-deluxe/products/000210...

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bobthepanda 3 days ago | parent [-]

Kraft Singles and their Velveeta equivalent are what is available abroad, not the Kraft Deli Deluxe. 40 percent of American households in 2019 bought Kraft Singles.

You may not like it, but it is the public face of American cheese.

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pests 3 days ago | parent [-]

I might say the 60% that didn’t buy Kraft Singles might be the public face of American cheese considering it’s the larger number?

	▲	bobthepanda 3 days ago \| parent [-]
		There’s no data to suggest that actual fancier American cheese sells more than heavily marketed slices, especially since a huge chunk of the remaining population, and I would say most, is not consuming either “American cheese” or “American cheese product” with sodium citrate.

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yesco 4 days ago | parent | prev [-]

Wait so when Europeans complain about American cheese, they are talking about Kraft/Velveeta? I always thought of those as their own independent thing, do they not purchase their cheese at the deli? Most foods exported across the Atlantic are not going to be the fresh kind...

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bobthepanda 3 days ago | parent [-]

They purchase European cheeses given that most American cheese types are descended from European cheeses; cheddar is English and blue is descended from English Stilton.

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yesco 2 days ago | parent [-]

Your reply doesn't answer my question and seems to imply things I can't understand. Are you suggesting people in Europe simply use the same kind of cheese with everything? I find that hard to believe. Perhaps you have never bought cheese at a deli? There happen to be many kinds.

Your last point is even more confusing, why would the fact that chedder and blue cheese originate from England have anything to do with this? It's like random trivia you interlaced here, it's very strange. I can't seem to grok it.

	▲	bobthepanda 2 days ago \| parent [-]
		They don’t buy American cheese, the melty product. They actually don’t buy much American (of origin) cheese at all at their delis because American origin cheeses are all descended from the diverse array of European cheeses, and there are melty, non-sodium citrate European cheeses. So yes, the most common form of American cheese found is the Kraft/Velveeta variety and that is really mostly aimed at expats nostalgic for it. Europe exports $2.8bn of dairy to the US. The reverse is only $167m of trade.

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sowbug 4 days ago | parent | prev [-]

It's very easy to make American cheese at home, and it happens to make the very best macaroni and cheese. As you say, mix some other cheese with sodium citrate dissolved in water. Cheddar works great. You'll get a nacho-sauce-like goop that you can pour onto your pasta (cavatappi or fusilli are best). Add in a caramelized onion and you'll never want to eat boxed mac & cheese again.

	▲	creddit 4 days ago \| parent [-]
		Yes. A good way to think about American Cheese is to consider if instead of it being a mass produced, highly available product, it was made by Thomas Keller and served in a dish at The French Laundry. Then we would call it “molecular gastronomy” and it would be a nice littler touch to some dish.