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It's one of the most maligned and misunderstood links in the culinary food chain. It's blended. It's processed. It's artificially colored. It comes individually-wrapped in plastic. It's the food that food snobs love to hate. It's American Cheese. And - sorry, food snobs -- I actually like it. Some of it, anyway.
I grew up in America's Dairyland. Like most kids, the first cheese to pass my lips was a slice of American. As I grew older, I eventually learned to appreciate cheddar, Swiss, Parmesan, mozzarella, Colby, Monterey Jack, Gouda, Gruyere....well, you get the idea. But through it all, I remain faithful to the cheese that first brought me to the dance - good old American.
But, what, exactly is American cheese and why do so many food purists discount and dislike it?
Advertisers want to make the products they represent appealing; in this they are not to be faulted-at least not if they do not resort to dishonesty. There are no really dishonest advertisers, are there? No more than there are dishonest lawyers. Does this make the point? One of the products almost all American households purchase some time during the year is cheese-or at least what they may think is cheese.
For some people, Velveeta cheese is a comfort food and for some it approaches the status of an addiction. Whether creating a gooey grilled cheese sandwich from this soft cheese or spreading it on crackers, some can't live without it's soft, satisfying taste and texture. What about health benefits? Is Velveeta cheese bad from a health standpoint?
What is Velveeta?
Although Velveeta cheese advertises itself as a soft cheese, if you study the label you'll see it's actually a 'processed cheese food". A closer inspection of the Velveeta cheese label shows that the only mention of cheese is the last item on the list which is labeled "cheese culture". Other ingredients include milk, milk fat, whey protein, and alginate which is a gum found in seaweed. It also contains sodium citrate and coloring. If you're looking for a natural food product, Velveeta isn't a good choice since it's undergone a fair amount of processing.
