Growing up my mom always bought American cheese from the supermarket deli, so that’s what I’ve been used to eating on my burgers and sandwiches for the last 25 years or so. But recently I started noticing that the stuff I was getting from the deli counter was labeled American cheese product. A quick check of Wikipedia reveals that American cheese is actually a product made from the scrap of other cheeses combined with emulsifiers and other products to make it melt more smoothly. (Although the American Dairy Association does call it a cheese, it confirms that American cheese is “actually a blend of Cheddar, Colby and other cheeses.”) That has not been real cheese on my grilled cheese sandwiches. This is the kind of revelation that should have a big “EVERYTHING YOU KNEW IS A LIE!” legend on the front cover.
Or maybe it’s just an odd bit of food trivia. Either way, I’ve been eating muenster lately. Good stuff.