Speaker 1: Welcome to brain Stuff, a production of I Heart Radio,
Speaker 1: Hey brain Stuff, Lauren bog obam Here. Pimento cheese maybe
Speaker 1: a scrumptious staple. It's super popular in the South, but
Speaker 1: this creamy cheese dish actually got its start up north
Speaker 1: in New York, of all places, just before World War One.
Speaker 1: Fortuitous timing is what brought this comfort food, A simple
Speaker 1: spread made with pimentos, shredded cheese, and mayonnaise into being
Speaker 1: as soft, spreadable, mild tasting cream cheese, which was the
Speaker 1: original ingredient in pimento cheese, hit the market in the
Speaker 1: late eighteen hundreds. Spain's sweet red pimento or pimiento peppers
Speaker 1: simultaneously entered America's food aisles. These mild peppers added a
Speaker 1: pop of colorful pizzas to dishes without any overwhelming flavors.
Speaker 1: American chefs and homemakers appreciated these muted tastes, and they
Speaker 1: were integrating cream cheese into everything from dips to our derves.
Speaker 1: As canned pimentos became readily available, they soon fused the two,
Speaker 1: and the comfort food category has never been the same.
Speaker 1: Of course, there's much more to the story than a
Speaker 1: simple marriage between cheese and pimento peppers. The story of
Speaker 1: pimento cheese involves mass production, agricultural novelties, and the addition
Speaker 1: of the South's signature influence, mayonnaise. Here's a snapshot of
Speaker 1: pimento cheese's history to wet your appetite. So As recipes
Speaker 1: for pimento cheese sandwiches filled magazines and cookbooks, cheese manufacturers
Speaker 1: began to notice they mass produced pimento cheese, and it
Speaker 1: soon became available in grocery stores across the country. At
Speaker 1: the same time, the state of Georgia was making headway
Speaker 1: with plans to grow pimentos on us soil. The state's
Speaker 1: lead farmers requested seeds from the Spanish consulate in the
Speaker 1: early nineteen hundreds, and in nineteen sixteen they had their
Speaker 1: first successful harvest. As the peppers proved fruitful, pimento cheese
Speaker 1: grew in popularity across the South, and some Southerners and
Speaker 1: towns and cities might have had access to canned pimento
Speaker 1: cheese spread, but other folks would have had to make
Speaker 1: it themselves, and that's likely when mayonnaise made its way
Speaker 1: into pimento cheese. We spoke with Kevin Clark, the co
Speaker 1: owner of an Atlanta restaurant called Homegrown, Georgia, popular for
Speaker 1: its Southern style breakfast, fair and diner food. He said,
Speaker 1: growing up in the South, cream cheese wasn't something we ate.
Speaker 1: It just wasn't available, So mayonnaise was a substitute. We
Speaker 1: used mayonnaise on everything. It's just what we had. Pimento
Speaker 1: cheese saw its popularity spike before World War Two, but
Speaker 1: the enthusiasm waned post war. While others forgot about the cheese,
Speaker 1: the Southern chefs began experimenting with their own recipes in
Speaker 1: the years following. It became part of Southern culture, and
Speaker 1: Clark says that families now boast their own special Southern
Speaker 1: pimento cheese recipes, and his family's recipe is, of course
Speaker 1: his favorite. He said, family recipes have more meaning to
Speaker 1: you anyway. Honestly, I don't think there are really a
Speaker 1: lot of differences and recipes other than one may have
Speaker 1: sharp cheddar or mild cheddar. It's just a personal preference.
Speaker 1: Clark introduced his pimento cheese recipe to the world at
Speaker 1: Home Grown, which has been serving up Southern comfort food
Speaker 1: in Atlanta since At first, pimento cheese wasn't even on
Speaker 1: the menu, he said, Pimento cheese slipped my mind, but
Speaker 1: a customer would come in every week and ask for it.
Speaker 1: I finally put it on the menu and it took off.
Speaker 1: We probably go through some fifty to sixty pounds of
Speaker 1: cheese every week. That's about twenty three to twenty seven
Speaker 1: kilo's not too shabby. Pimento cheese is a simple recipe,
Speaker 1: and Clark says that that's one of the best things
Speaker 1: about it. Today's most popular recipes call for shredded cheddar cheese,
Speaker 1: pimento peppers, mayonnaise, and ground black pepper, although some cooks
Speaker 1: add flair with ingredients like halapenos and hot sauce. It's
Speaker 1: typically served cold as a dip or a sandwich spread,
Speaker 1: although per customer requests, Clark now serves his hot too.
Speaker 1: He says customers come in from all corners of the
Speaker 1: country to try distinct Southern cuisine, and while it may
Speaker 1: not be the first thing that comes to mind, pimento
Speaker 1: cheese is an unexpectedly great way to enjoy authentic Southern fair.
Speaker 1: Clark said people are always taken aback by a cold
Speaker 1: cheese spread, but I say just try it. It's really
Speaker 1: easy to make and you don't have to use fancy ingredients.
Speaker 1: It's good cold or heat it up. There are just
Speaker 1: so many ways to use it. To make your own.
Speaker 1: Clark recommends this recipe. Combine two cups of shredded sharp
Speaker 1: cheddar cheese, a half a cup of mayonnaise, a half
Speaker 1: a cup of diced pimento peppers, a teaspoon of ground
Speaker 1: black pepper, and two to four dashes of crystal hot
Speaker 1: sauce and a mixing bowl and stir until the mixture
Speaker 1: is smooth and spreadable. Then cover and chill before serving.
Speaker 1: Let's stand at room temperature for thirty minutes or so
Speaker 1: and stir well. It can be stored in air container
Speaker 1: in the refrigerator for up to a week if it
Speaker 1: lasts that long. Today's episode was written by Stephanie Vermillion
Speaker 1: and produced by Tyler Clang. For more in this month
Speaker 1: of other topics, visit how stuff works dot com. Brain
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