# Is The Laughing Cow real cheese? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [August 15, 2011, 7:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-the-laughing-cow-real-cheese/592811 "2011-08-15T19:02:06Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Chefguy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chefguy/32/138_2.png) [@Chefguy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chefguy)\ **Post date:** [August 16, 2011, 2:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-the-laughing-cow-real-cheese/592811/21 "2011-08-16T14:27:48Z")
> [@MsWhatsit](#): > > I gotta say, I am really not interested in developing my palate (or whatever the terminology is) to the point that I have to _make my own cheese_ in order to truly be satisfied with my cheese flavor nuances. Seriously, I have a lot of crap to get done on a regular basis and cheese-making is just never going to be a priority for me. > > Also, if this wasn’t enough ammunition for you to judge me as some kind of culinary philistine, I will add that I feel the same way about coffee. If I ever develop a taste for el primo coffee and stop liking Folgers, my grocery budget will go up by some intolerable amount. So I shall continue to like Folgers just fine. > > On-topic: I am actually quite surprised to find out that Laughing Cow is real cheese. I had assumed it was some sort of Kraft Singles-like “cheese product.” I am intrigued now. Not all cheese-making is complicated or expensive. Fromage blanc is probably the easiest and cheapest to make and kits are available for the hobbyist. All that said, if what you eat works for you, who’s to argue? ---
**Author:** ![Nzinga\_Seated](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/b5ac83/32.png) [@Nzinga\_Seated](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nzinga_Seated)\ **Post date:** [August 16, 2011, 4:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-the-laughing-cow-real-cheese/592811/22 "2011-08-16T16:58:42Z")
> [@MsWhatsit](#): > > I gotta say, I am really not interested in developing my palate (or whatever the terminology is) to the point that I have to _make my own cheese_ in order to truly be satisfied with my cheese flavor nuances. Seriously, I have a lot of crap to get done on a regular basis and cheese-making is just never going to be a priority for me… Haaa! Word. ETA: I like the cheese but I looove the music in the commercials. ---
**Author:** ![diku](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/4af34b/32.png) [@diku](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/diku)\ **Post date:** [August 16, 2011, 6:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-the-laughing-cow-real-cheese/592811/23 "2011-08-16T18:39:52Z")
> [@Chefguy](#): > > Not all cheese-making is complicated or expensive. Fromage blanc is probably the easiest and cheapest to make and kits are available for the hobbyist. All that said, if what you eat works for you, who’s to argue? Apparently you, earlier. ---
**Author:** ![Chefguy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chefguy/32/138_2.png) [@Chefguy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chefguy)\ **Post date:** [August 16, 2011, 8:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-the-laughing-cow-real-cheese/592811/24 "2011-08-16T20:11:23Z")
> [@diku](#): > > Apparently you, earlier. Hey, I’m just saying it’s not very well-made cheese. Some people love American cheese, which is also poorly made. If you like it, you like it; but it doesn’t change the fact that there are better products available. ---
**Author:** ![Nzinga\_Seated](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/b5ac83/32.png) [@Nzinga\_Seated](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nzinga_Seated)\ **Post date:** [August 16, 2011, 8:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-the-laughing-cow-real-cheese/592811/25 "2011-08-16T20:49:58Z")
> [@Chefguy](#): > > Hey, I’m just saying it’s not very well-made cheese. Some people love American cheese, which is also poorly made. If you like it, you like it; but it doesn’t change the fact that there are better products available. I hope your realize that ‘better’ is relative. For my money, nothing beats a grill cheese sandwich with Deli sliced American cheese. Ditto for baked mac and cheese. ---
**Author:** ![Biggirl](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/biggirl/32/3294_2.png) [@Biggirl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Biggirl)\ **Post date:** [August 16, 2011, 8:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-the-laughing-cow-real-cheese/592811/26 "2011-08-16T20:59:02Z")
> [@Chefguy](#): > > Hey, I’m just saying it’s not very well-made cheese. Some people love American cheese, which is also poorly made. If you like it, you like it; but it doesn’t change the fact that there are better products available. Hold on now. I never heard that American cheese is poorly made. It isn’t as sharp as other cheddars because we United Statsians as a whole have a problem with too much flavor and like stuff bland. But that has nothing to do on how the cheese is made. There would be a whole lot of upset upstate cheese makers if they read this remark. Upstate NY, that is. ---
**Author:** ![Chefguy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chefguy/32/138_2.png) [@Chefguy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chefguy)\ **Post date:** [August 16, 2011, 10:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-the-laughing-cow-real-cheese/592811/27 "2011-08-16T22:00:19Z")
> [@Nzinga\_Seated](#): > > I hope your realize that ‘better’ is relative. For my money, nothing beats a grill cheese sandwich with Deli sliced American cheese. Ditto for baked mac and cheese. Didn’t say I don’t like it: I use American and cheddar in mac & cheese. I used to eat the stuff by the pound years ago (not the singles, which taste like plastic, though). **Biggirl** : American cheese is not cheddar. Long ago, it was sometimes made from a combination of cheddar and (I think) Colby, but not anymore. If you look at the label on American, they never call it “cheese”, because it’s not. It’s a processed food product, so they have to use a modifier like “processed” or “product” with the word ‘cheese’. ---
**Author:** ![doreen](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/858c86/32.png) [@doreen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/doreen)\ **Post date:** [August 16, 2011, 11:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-the-laughing-cow-real-cheese/592811/28 "2011-08-16T23:07:34Z")
> [@Chefguy](#): > > **Biggirl** : American cheese is not cheddar. Long ago, it was sometimes made from a combination of cheddar and (I think) Colby, but not anymore. If you look at the label on American, they never call it “cheese”, because it’s not. It’s a processed food product, so they have to use a modifier like “processed” or “product” with the word ‘cheese’. The stuff packaged in individual plastic wrapped slices is “pasteurized prepared cheese product” or some such thing. The big Boars Head (or comparable brand) block that the deli guy slices is actually American cheese. ---
**Author:** ![doreen](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/858c86/32.png) [@doreen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/doreen)\ **Post date:** [August 16, 2011, 11:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-the-laughing-cow-real-cheese/592811/29 "2011-08-16T23:30:25Z")
hit submit too soon. American cheese is a processed cheese, but combining two different cheeses (such as Colby and Cheddar) is enough to make it a processed cheese rather than an unprocessed one. ---
**Author:** ![nikonikosuru](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/5f8ce5/32.png) [@nikonikosuru](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/nikonikosuru)\ **Post date:** [August 17, 2011, 4:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-the-laughing-cow-real-cheese/592811/30 "2011-08-17T04:04:38Z")
Warm two Laughing Cow cheeses in a small container in the microwave until they melt/are stirrable. Stir in some minced surumi/artifical crabmeat and chopped green onion. Butter and grill one side of two pieces of bread. Spread the mixture on the bread and add a little salt, pepper, and garlic powder if desired. Kind of tastes like a crab rangoon in sandwich form, mmmm! It could also be tweaked a little, maybe more sugar or finely minced white onion for the sweet rangoon flavor but I never thought it needed that. I also add sliced tomato on my sandwich.🙂 ---
**Author:** ![digs](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/digs/32/14889_2.png) [@digs](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/digs)\ **Post date:** [August 17, 2011, 5:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-the-laughing-cow-real-cheese/592811/31 "2011-08-17T05:04:14Z")
> [@Elendil\_s\_Heir](#): > > … At least, it’ll do until I can get some true Venezuelan Beaver Cheese. “Not today sir, no.” ---
**Author:** ![digs](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/digs/32/14889_2.png) [@digs](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/digs)\ **Post date:** [August 17, 2011, 5:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-the-laughing-cow-real-cheese/592811/32 "2011-08-17T05:06:31Z")
Bite of Laughing Cow Cheese, bite of crisp, tart apple. Repeat. ---
**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:** [August 17, 2011, 11:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-the-laughing-cow-real-cheese/592811/33 "2011-08-17T11:02:30Z")
> [@Chefguy](#): > > Didn’t say I don’t like it: I use American and cheddar in mac & cheese. I used to eat the stuff by the pound years ago (not the singles, which taste like plastic, though). > > **Biggirl** : American cheese is not cheddar. Long ago, it was sometimes made from a combination of cheddar and (I think) Colby, but not anymore. If you look at the label on American, they never call it “cheese”, because it’s not. It’s a processed food product, so they have to use a modifier like “processed” or “product” with the word ‘cheese’. > [@doreen](#): > > The stuff packaged in individual plastic wrapped slices is “pasteurized prepared cheese product” or some such thing. The big Boars Head (or comparable brand) block that the deli guy slices is actually American cheese. Here’s an easy trick to distinguish actual American cheese from “cheese food” (which, frankly, I wouldn’t feed to a pet cheese, much less a human): If the slices need to be individually wrapped to keep from melting back into a lump, it’s not cheese. It’s “cheese food” or some cheese_like_ substance that sort of tastes like cheese and has the texture of plastic. If the slices can be stacked without individual wrapping at room temperature and do NOT merge into a Cheese Blob then it’s actual cheese. You may or may not like American cheese, but it is actual cheese. Unfortunately, the Cheese Blob variety has become so ubiquitous (both from lower price per unit and it’s usefulness in melting applications like cheeseburgers) that American cheese is actually seldom seen or eaten, even by Americans. Except that big block in the deli, where the person behind the counter slices 'em for you (or, if you ask, will carve off a hunk of cheese in block form). When I was a kid long rectangular blocks of American were much more common, and everyone owned an actual cheese slicer at home. Nowadays, I run into kids who have never seen a cheese slicer. ---
**Author:** ![IvoryTowerDenizen](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ivorytowerdenizen/32/17937_2.png) [@IvoryTowerDenizen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/IvoryTowerDenizen)\ **Post date:** [August 17, 2011, 12:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-the-laughing-cow-real-cheese/592811/34 "2011-08-17T12:00:14Z")
I remember this cheese from when I was small- it came in little cubes, not wedges, and was in french: “La vache qui rit” (laughing cow). I haven’t seen the cubes in ages. I used to love unwrapping the foil off each little square. It’s tasty stuff. I’ll but the original in wedges and eat with an apple, on crackers or stuffed into a stalk of celery. ---
**Author:** ![Sigmagirl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/c89c15/32.png) [@Sigmagirl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sigmagirl)\ **Post date:** [August 17, 2011, 12:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-the-laughing-cow-real-cheese/592811/35 "2011-08-17T12:47:46Z")
I just want to add: Girls like rubies! ---
**Author:** ![Nava](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/da6949/32.png) [@Nava](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nava)\ **Post date:** [August 17, 2011, 1:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-the-laughing-cow-real-cheese/592811/36 "2011-08-17T13:57:14Z")
> [@Pyper](#): > > Slightly off-topic: they sell Laughing Cow cheese in Spain in tomato, green pepper, and ham flavors. I was curious about that since I hadn’t noticed them (I don’t eat “quesitos”, but Mom uses them for some recipes so I’ll buy them for her). Turns out that those are a set pack of dice, rather than the triangles; there’s another set that’s flavored as either mushrooms, blue cheese or onion. I’m seriously wondering whether they’re intended for the average Juanito Español or rather for the tourist/retiree market, “onion” and “blue cheese” don’t sound like something most kids would be begging for but they’re potato chip flavors in the UK. ---
**Author:** ![nikonikosuru](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/5f8ce5/32.png) [@nikonikosuru](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/nikonikosuru)\ **Post date:** [August 17, 2011, 5:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-the-laughing-cow-real-cheese/592811/37 "2011-08-17T17:22:15Z")
> [@Nava](#): > > I was curious about that since I hadn’t noticed them (I don’t eat “quesitos”, but Mom uses them for some recipes so I’ll buy them for her). Turns out that those are a set pack of dice, rather than the triangles; there’s another set that’s flavored as either mushrooms, blue cheese or onion. I’m seriously wondering whether they’re intended for the average Juanito Español or rather for the tourist/retiree market, “onion” and “blue cheese” don’t sound like something most kids would be begging for but they’re potato chip flavors in the UK. We have French Onion here. It’s pretty good, a slight flavor but nothing overpowering. It’s great for sandwiches or mixing in with noodles and the like. The original four were the normal swiss, the light swiss, french onion, and garlic (my favorite). Now they have blue cheese, sundried tomato, and chipotle. I’ve only tried the chipotle of the new three so far (I hate sundried tomato, won’t be trying that one anytime soon) and there actually wasn’t much of a taste to it. I’ll have to try the blue cheese next time I see it in stores; those three are still pretty rare 'round here. ---
**Author:** ![Locrian](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/locrian/32/14146_2.png) [@Locrian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Locrian)\ **Post date:** [August 18, 2011, 3:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-the-laughing-cow-real-cheese/592811/38 "2011-08-18T03:46:59Z")
> [@KneadToKnow](#): > > I agree completely. She is adorable. “Up top, sir. Awesome.” 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Sparkina](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/f05b48/32.png) [@Sparkina](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sparkina)\ **Post date:** [October 3, 2013, 9:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-the-laughing-cow-real-cheese/592811/39 "2013-10-03T21:50:15Z")
From my understanding, laughing cow wedges are a blend of real cheeses with a touch of milk, cream, and herbs/spices, and they taste absolutely divine. ---
**Author:** ![rjk](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/ed655f/32.png) [@rjk](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/rjk)\ **Post date:** [October 5, 2013, 6:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-the-laughing-cow-real-cheese/592811/40 "2013-10-05T06:54:11Z")
I once had a woman come into the store looking for it, but quite embarrassed that she couldn’t remember the name. She and her kids call it “Mad Cow”. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-the-laughing-cow-real-cheese/592811.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-the-laughing-cow-real-cheese/592811.md?page=3)