# American cheese... historically speaking **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [May 13, 2016, 7:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/american-cheese-historically-speaking/754709 "2016-05-13T19:47:14Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 5\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![jasg](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/f0a364/32.png) [@jasg](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jasg)\ **Post date:** [May 16, 2016, 10:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/american-cheese-historically-speaking/754709/41 "2016-05-16T22:13:40Z")
> [@Earl\_Snake-Hips\_Tucker](#): > > Are you referring to real ‘American Cheese’ or stuff like Kraft Singles, which is a cheese product? Slight nitpick, but there is a difference. > > In either case, never heard it called ‘square cheese.’ In our family, Kraft Singles is always called “plastic cheese” - both for the wrapping & the way it melts. ---
**Author:** ![Philster](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/13edae/32.png) [@Philster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Philster)\ **Post date:** [May 18, 2016, 6:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/american-cheese-historically-speaking/754709/42 "2016-05-18T18:51:00Z")
Philadelphia, born and raised… from “SouPhilly”. We said American cheese if we wanted to give our parents agita. American cheese at a deli meant the white square cheese, but many families would say “New York Square” at the deli. That was intended to mean American cheese and it was very white… and… duh… square. To them… unique it was. Every other deli item, it seemed, was round, and it was also what they were familiar with: Round meats and cheeses. Not sure I’m helping here, but the only time I’ve heard ‘square’ is when people were asking for “New York Square”. **My take on the origins: Since many Italian immigrants/people/family I knew funneled through New York, and since their cheese context was based on round varieties from Italy, I never thought them calling for “New York Square” was odd. That was what they knew as American Cheese.** Hope this helps. I grew up with Italian immigrants in a little Italian neighborhood in Philly. Father Pasquale once sent a friend and me to the local Italian deli to get “New York Square” cheese. We ordered American cheese when we got there. He gave us a dollar for running the errand. My friend never split it with me. 🙂 . . ---
**Author:** ![Kimballkid](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/b5a626/32.png) [@Kimballkid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kimballkid)\ **Post date:** [May 19, 2016, 7:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/american-cheese-historically-speaking/754709/43 "2016-05-19T19:52:40Z")
Grew up in the late '60s and '70s in South Dakota. Mom never bought the Kraft singles, it was always Velveeta which we just called ‘cheese’. For awhile we did get ‘commod’ (commodity) or ‘government’ cheese which we also just called ‘cheese’. ---
**Author:** ![Kimballkid](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/b5a626/32.png) [@Kimballkid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kimballkid)\ **Post date:** [May 19, 2016, 8:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/american-cheese-historically-speaking/754709/44 "2016-05-19T20:03:13Z")
> [@spamforbrains](#): > > You can still get good cheese steaks in areas around Philly if you avoid the tourist traps. No “cheese whiz” or junk like that on them. Nice meat, peppers, onions, provolone, hot peppers if you want them. Even WaWa’s cheese steaks are better than the things they pass off to tourists. > [@quiltguy](#): > > DEFINITELY stay away from the Philly tourist trap steak places, as noted upthread. The further you get away from them, the better the cheesesteaks become. :smack: Yeah, I learned that the hard way. I had a ‘cheese steak’ in The Bourse Food Court by Independence Hall and such. It was horrible. I wish I would have at least got one from the food truck that was out front, it may have been more authentic. It sure smelled better. ---
**Author:** ![jz78817](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jz78817/32/1028_2.png) [@jz78817](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jz78817)\ **Post date:** [May 19, 2016, 11:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/american-cheese-historically-speaking/754709/45 "2016-05-19T23:48:42Z")
the way I look at it, American cheese is meant to be an ingredient or topping, while many of the classic cheeses are meant to be eaten as is. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/american-cheese-historically-speaking/754709.md?page=2)