# American cheese **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [January 3, 2010, 10:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/american-cheese/523548 "2010-01-03T22:15:16Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 16\ **Page:** 4
**Author:** ![puzzlegal](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/puzzlegal/32/3827_2.png) [@puzzlegal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/puzzlegal)\ **Post date:** [May 8, 2024, 12:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/american-cheese/523548/61 "2024-05-08T00:34:23Z")
I thought laughing cow was an American cheese! ---
**Author:** ![Broomstick](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/broomstick/32/246_2.png) [@Broomstick](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Broomstick)\ **Post date:** [May 8, 2024, 1:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/american-cheese/523548/62 "2024-05-08T01:27:36Z")
Nope. Heavily marketed and now popular in the US, but originally French. ---
**Author:** ![Limmin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/f04885/32.png) [@Limmin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Limmin)\ **Post date:** [May 8, 2024, 2:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/american-cheese/523548/63 "2024-05-08T02:03:24Z")
> [@puzzlegal](#): > > laughing cow IIRC: Squidgy, white, slightly tangy. Solid block, thick wedge shape, wrapped in foil. A little firmer than Velveeta? But one might imagine they’re cousins ---
**Author:** ![puzzlegal](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/puzzlegal/32/3827_2.png) [@puzzlegal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/puzzlegal)\ **Post date:** [May 8, 2024, 2:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/american-cheese/523548/64 "2024-05-08T02:14:05Z")
Yes, i actually had a cheese on an airplane last week that said it was gourmet and French, but can’t in a little foil h wrapped wedge like laughing cow, and liked and tasted like Velveeta. I enjoy Velveeta, though, so I ate it ---
**Author:** ![DrDeth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b487fb/32.png) [@DrDeth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DrDeth)\ **Post date:** [May 8, 2024, 3:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/american-cheese/523548/65 "2024-05-08T03:32:50Z")
> [@Limmin](#): > > So…one use for Velveeta. I took some camping once and it made excellent fish bait. And that was a loooong time ago, and the freeze-dried and other camping foods were sad, so as bad as Velveeta is- it made the crappy Mac& Cheese better. ---
**Author:** ![BigT](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bigt/32/12044_2.png) [@BigT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BigT)\ **Post date:** [May 8, 2024, 4:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/american-cheese/523548/66 "2024-05-08T04:10:44Z")
> [@Cat\_Whisperer](#): > > I guess mistaking American Cheese for Kraft Singles sort of begs the question - are they really that different, then? ⁢ They are definitely different in texture. Kraft Singles break more easily and have to be individually wrapped to maintain their shape. American cheese can just be sliced like any other cheese. ---
**Author:** ![puzzlegal](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/puzzlegal/32/3827_2.png) [@puzzlegal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/puzzlegal)\ **Post date:** [May 8, 2024, 5:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/american-cheese/523548/67 "2024-05-08T05:45:18Z")
And as i mentioned above, kraft singles taste like plastic. ---
**Author:** ![Mangetout](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mangetout/32/19_2.png) [@Mangetout](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mangetout)\ **Post date:** [May 8, 2024, 6:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/american-cheese/523548/68 "2024-05-08T06:29:42Z")
> [@Johnny\_L.A](#): > > This. Even though by definition American cheese is real cheese, all of the haters get stuck on the ‘pasteurized process food product’ that _isn’t_, by definition, real cheese. Kraft Singles are _not_ American cheese, even if they look alike. Yeah, a little bit of brutal introspection and I am forced to admit that the urge to declassify American Cheese as cheese doesn’t come from definitional rigour, it comes from a desire to feel superior to people who choose it. ---
**Author:** ![Smapti](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/smapti/32/17938_2.png) [@Smapti](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Smapti)\ **Post date:** [May 8, 2024, 6:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/american-cheese/523548/69 "2024-05-08T06:47:07Z")
> [@Mangetout](#): > > American cheese is a cooked product made from a mild cheddar-type cheese, treated with citrate to stabilise it. Sodium citrate is a godsend for the home cook, BTW. You can use it to make any cheese melt into a smooth sauce without separating. I use it with pepperjack and beer to make a queso that goes great as a topping for nachos or just a dip for the chip of your choice, and it stays smooth in the fridge instead of congealing into a horrid mess. ---
**Author:** ![Mangetout](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mangetout/32/19_2.png) [@Mangetout](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mangetout)\ **Post date:** [May 8, 2024, 7:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/american-cheese/523548/70 "2024-05-08T07:32:44Z")
I’m not so much a fan of citrate-stabilised cheese sauces - I’d rather have a roux-based cheese sauce in most contexts. One person’s ‘velvety’ is another person’s (ie mine) ‘glue-like’. The slight graininess of a roux-based cheese sauce is, for me, a feature not a bug. ---
**Author:** ![Smapti](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/smapti/32/17938_2.png) [@Smapti](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Smapti)\ **Post date:** [May 8, 2024, 7:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/american-cheese/523548/71 "2024-05-08T07:41:50Z")
> [@Mangetout](#): > > I’m not so much a fan of citrate-stabilised cheese sauces - I’d rather have a roux-based cheese sauce in most contexts. Mornay sauces have their uses - in lasagna, for example, or as the base for mac & cheese. When it comes to dips, I want something glossier and not as thick as a roux-based sauce, one that clings to a chip rather than needing to be scooped with it. > [@Mangetout](#): > > The slight graininess of a roux-based cheese sauce is, for me, a feature not a bug. If you keep your temperature low, add the cheese slowly, and stir constantly, a good Mornay sauce shouldn’t be grainy at all. It just takes patience and attention. I was watching a video recipe for baked mac & cheese awhile back where the cook added about 4 pounds of cheese to his sauce all at once and I was utterly aghast because no way in hell was that going to come out good. ---
**Author:** ![Mangetout](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mangetout/32/19_2.png) [@Mangetout](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mangetout)\ **Post date:** [May 8, 2024, 8:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/american-cheese/523548/72 "2024-05-08T08:10:45Z")
It depends on the cheese you’re adding - I think the graininess comes from the mature cheddar (which has that sort of grainy texture all of its own - and it’s part of the reason I love it). That said, cheese dips that aren’t fondue, aren’t really a thing for me - maybe mostly because I don’t live in a place where that bit of food culture has significantly reached. ---
**Author:** ![OldOlds](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/a3d4f5/32.png) [@OldOlds](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/OldOlds)\ **Post date:** [May 8, 2024, 12:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/american-cheese/523548/73 "2024-05-08T12:59:15Z")
I’m here from the MPISMS thread too And to echo others: Kraft Singles are nasty. Real American Cheese absolutely has its place and is quite nice in the right dish. And I say that as someone who loves him a nice fancy cheese. I’ve been all over the world and loved all manner of “good” cheese. But on a burger, or a grilled cheese, or on eggs, or even a ham & cheese sandwich- Land O Lakes White is great. Which brings me to a real point of anger: At the Dreaded Stop & Shop they often have common deli items pre-sliced, which is nice when you don’t want to wait in line. USUALLY the LoL White is safe. But LoL also makes a product similar to Kraft singles, but without the individual wrappers. Once in a while I get home to find out that’s what they’ve put out. And I go into a fit of rage. I really hate Stop & Shop. But there’s one literally 4 minutes from my house. I guess I’ll never learn. ---
**Author:** ![pulykamell](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pulykamell/32/3166_2.png) [@pulykamell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pulykamell)\ **Post date:** [May 8, 2024, 1:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/american-cheese/523548/74 "2024-05-08T13:29:43Z")
> [@OldOlds](#): > > USUALLY the LoL White is safe. But LoL also makes a product similar to Kraft singles, but without the individual wrappers Are you not thinking of their regular yellow American cheese? So far as I could tell, it’s the same as the white American except with added color (annatto.) I’ve never seen them do a plasticky Kraft Singles style cheese. My favorite of theirs was the four cheese Italian blend. My supermarket stopped carrying it years ago, though, and none of the other ones I shop at seem to stock it. Looking on line, it seems to be discontinued, replaced by “Italian Blend” and the reviews are unkind, mostly saying “bring back the four cheese!” ---
**Author:** ![OldOlds](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/a3d4f5/32.png) [@OldOlds](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/OldOlds)\ **Post date:** [May 8, 2024, 2:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/american-cheese/523548/75 "2024-05-08T14:00:43Z")
Trust me, I know way too much about this. Land O Lakes White American Cheese, the stuff I like, is shipped as a rectangular block that is sliced at the deli. They also make a product (and I don’t know if it’s officially the same category as Kraft Singles, but it has the same plasticy texture and shitty taste) that is also sold in a large rectangle, but the “block” consists of dozens of individual slices that can be peeled off. I am certain LoL considers these as two distinct products/skus, but it seems that sometimes Stop & Shop puts the latter out labeled as the former. And of course, when I have asked the Deli Drone\* about this, they act like I’m nuts for caring. I’m not sure if this is what they are selling at the store, as it’s under the Food Service section of their website, but my guess is it’s the same stuff > **[Land O Lakes® American Cheese Slices, White, 160](https://www.landolakesfoodservice.com/products/cheese/land-o-lakes-american-cheese-slices-white-160/)** > > Land O Lakes® Slices are an ideal, quality ingredient for cheeseburgers, grilled cheese and other sandwiches. \*I know that’s not nice. But I worked the Shaw’s Deli during much of my college years, and that’s what we called ourselves. ---
**Author:** ![pulykamell](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pulykamell/32/3166_2.png) [@pulykamell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pulykamell)\ **Post date:** [May 8, 2024, 2:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/american-cheese/523548/76 "2024-05-08T14:24:53Z")
> [@OldOlds](#): > > They also make a product (and I don’t know if it’s officially the same category as Kraft Singles, but it has the same plasticy texture and shitty taste) that is also sold in a large rectangle, but the “block” consists of dozens of individual slices that can be peeled off. Oh, interesting. Yeah, that I haven’t seen. Here the yellow or white LoL American goes through the slicer like any other cheese. I haven’t seen the one where it’s pre-sliced. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/american-cheese/523548.md?page=3)