1 00:00:08,119 --> 00:00:10,120 Speaker 1: Hello, and welcome to Savor production of I Heart Radio. 2 00:00:10,160 --> 00:00:12,920 Speaker 1: I'm Annie Reese and I'm Lauren Vocal Bam, and today 3 00:00:13,039 --> 00:00:18,760 Speaker 1: we have a classic episode for you about American processed cheese. Yes, 4 00:00:19,160 --> 00:00:21,239 Speaker 1: I remember you were super excited to do this one 5 00:00:21,360 --> 00:00:25,880 Speaker 1: when we did it. Oh yeah, I love this entire 6 00:00:25,960 --> 00:00:28,920 Speaker 1: topic because like the history is so weird and the 7 00:00:29,080 --> 00:00:33,360 Speaker 1: science is so weird, and it's it's so good. And 8 00:00:33,440 --> 00:00:35,600 Speaker 1: it's also, like I say in the episode, like it 9 00:00:35,680 --> 00:00:39,120 Speaker 1: doesn't really taste like food, but I love this stuff. Yeah, 10 00:00:39,960 --> 00:00:46,480 Speaker 1: oh yeah, I loved it too. And funnily enough, I well, 11 00:00:46,640 --> 00:00:48,640 Speaker 1: this is not funny at all. Everyone knows. I watched 12 00:00:48,640 --> 00:00:53,840 Speaker 1: a ton of horror movies, but okay, okay, transition, Sorry, 13 00:00:54,480 --> 00:00:56,960 Speaker 1: but I was like, this isn't a humorous thing. It 14 00:00:57,040 --> 00:01:00,640 Speaker 1: might be um, but yeah, because we're moving into fall 15 00:01:00,920 --> 00:01:04,240 Speaker 1: and all of that, I've really ramped things up. And 16 00:01:04,280 --> 00:01:06,640 Speaker 1: I know you're probably listening like, how is that possible? 17 00:01:06,800 --> 00:01:10,840 Speaker 1: I pulled it off? But I just saw a horror 18 00:01:10,880 --> 00:01:14,200 Speaker 1: movie that had what I felt was a very bizarre 19 00:01:14,200 --> 00:01:19,920 Speaker 1: scene where they were arguing about American cheese and whether 20 00:01:20,080 --> 00:01:24,240 Speaker 1: or not it was cheese, and like, what film was this? Oh? Lord? 21 00:01:24,280 --> 00:01:26,360 Speaker 1: I don't ask me that. Okay, it could have been 22 00:01:26,360 --> 00:01:31,480 Speaker 1: anything anything, yeahs like a European family making fun of 23 00:01:31,520 --> 00:01:35,520 Speaker 1: an American family. Think all right about American cheese essentially, 24 00:01:35,920 --> 00:01:38,520 Speaker 1: But I just remember being like, wait, why are we 25 00:01:38,560 --> 00:01:42,520 Speaker 1: talking about American cheese? Isn't this about ghosts? Okay, it 26 00:01:42,560 --> 00:01:45,720 Speaker 1: can be about both, it can You're right, American cheese 27 00:01:46,040 --> 00:01:52,480 Speaker 1: can happen wherever. Maybe the ghost has feelings about American cheese. 28 00:01:52,840 --> 00:01:55,960 Speaker 1: Oh yeah, yeah, no, if I think if there's any 29 00:01:56,040 --> 00:01:59,280 Speaker 1: reason to come back as a ghost, it's because of 30 00:01:59,320 --> 00:02:05,160 Speaker 1: some kind of cheese grudge, cheeze grudge. You know what else? 31 00:02:05,200 --> 00:02:12,200 Speaker 1: I just watched versus Kayako. Oh yeah, Oh, I have 32 00:02:12,360 --> 00:02:15,200 Speaker 1: like a whole live tweet thing that I did. I 33 00:02:15,200 --> 00:02:17,280 Speaker 1: didn't publish it, but I saved it, and it was 34 00:02:17,440 --> 00:02:21,560 Speaker 1: very I thought it was very, very funny. Oh my goodness. 35 00:02:21,880 --> 00:02:26,040 Speaker 1: They should make that movie. They should, they should. Yes, 36 00:02:26,080 --> 00:02:29,280 Speaker 1: But this episode, it took us a longer than I 37 00:02:29,320 --> 00:02:31,240 Speaker 1: thought to talk about it because I knew how excited 38 00:02:31,240 --> 00:02:33,079 Speaker 1: you were to talk about it. But it's still it's 39 00:02:33,200 --> 00:02:41,240 Speaker 1: it's it's aged on like American cheez does, right, yeah, yeah, 40 00:02:41,320 --> 00:02:46,120 Speaker 1: and and right, So I suppose without further ado, we 41 00:02:46,200 --> 00:03:00,320 Speaker 1: will let former Annie and Lauren take it away. Hello, 42 00:03:00,400 --> 00:03:02,720 Speaker 1: and welcome to Food Step. I'm Any and I'm Lauren 43 00:03:02,800 --> 00:03:05,440 Speaker 1: vocal bam, and this is the episode I've been so 44 00:03:05,520 --> 00:03:09,239 Speaker 1: excited about. It's true, Lauren is very eager to talk 45 00:03:09,280 --> 00:03:11,800 Speaker 1: about this one. I want you to pretend for a 46 00:03:11,840 --> 00:03:15,519 Speaker 1: moment you don't know what today's topic is. Yeah, you 47 00:03:15,800 --> 00:03:19,920 Speaker 1: haven't read the title or any kind of metadata description. Yeah, 48 00:03:20,040 --> 00:03:22,320 Speaker 1: you don't know this is even a podcast about food. 49 00:03:23,400 --> 00:03:26,800 Speaker 1: And I just gave you this quote from an official 50 00:03:26,840 --> 00:03:32,200 Speaker 1: government document. What we're describing is a homogeneous plastic mass. 51 00:03:33,440 --> 00:03:37,800 Speaker 1: Would you think food? No, that's a very lot. I 52 00:03:37,840 --> 00:03:39,920 Speaker 1: like that you really considered, I really thought about it, 53 00:03:40,360 --> 00:03:43,440 Speaker 1: and outside of having done this research, No, I would not. No, 54 00:03:44,080 --> 00:03:46,080 Speaker 1: I wouldn't either. And to be fair, the use of 55 00:03:46,080 --> 00:03:51,080 Speaker 1: plastic is because of today's topic, which is American cheese. Yes, 56 00:03:51,480 --> 00:03:56,800 Speaker 1: specifically American or processed American cheese. Yeah, or processed cheese. Yeah. 57 00:03:56,840 --> 00:03:59,040 Speaker 1: We're going to dig into all that, Yeah, totally in 58 00:03:59,040 --> 00:04:02,480 Speaker 1: a minute. But it's because of the plastic when describing 59 00:04:02,520 --> 00:04:05,360 Speaker 1: that is more to the ease of moldibility and not 60 00:04:05,960 --> 00:04:11,720 Speaker 1: actual flavor any anything, and not because it's made of plastic. Yes, yes, surprise, surprise, 61 00:04:12,000 --> 00:04:15,640 Speaker 1: American cheese is not plastic. Um extra credit listening or 62 00:04:15,640 --> 00:04:17,919 Speaker 1: at the top is our cheddar Cheese episode. Yes, go 63 00:04:18,040 --> 00:04:19,760 Speaker 1: check that out if you would like a little bit 64 00:04:19,800 --> 00:04:22,160 Speaker 1: more information. This is almost sort of like a like 65 00:04:22,200 --> 00:04:27,039 Speaker 1: a dream sequence pulled straight from that one. Yeah. I 66 00:04:27,080 --> 00:04:29,680 Speaker 1: feel like it's in an alternate timeline where we we 67 00:04:29,720 --> 00:04:33,280 Speaker 1: went down the American cheese door from the cheddar Cheese episode. 68 00:04:33,680 --> 00:04:36,240 Speaker 1: And I have to say, personally, I know that American 69 00:04:36,279 --> 00:04:40,520 Speaker 1: cheese makes most people think, I believe of their childhood. 70 00:04:40,760 --> 00:04:43,720 Speaker 1: Oh yeah, it's a very nostalgic food for me. Um my. 71 00:04:43,720 --> 00:04:46,159 Speaker 1: My father, who I was joking before the episode started. 72 00:04:46,200 --> 00:04:49,040 Speaker 1: My father was a chef who had like classical French training, 73 00:04:49,080 --> 00:04:51,839 Speaker 1: but at home, one of his favorite meals was velvita 74 00:04:51,880 --> 00:04:55,840 Speaker 1: mac and cheese. And it is delicious. It doesn't really 75 00:04:55,880 --> 00:04:59,720 Speaker 1: taste like food, but it's so good. It's just like 76 00:04:59,760 --> 00:05:03,560 Speaker 1: so tea and creamy and um. I preferred the shells. 77 00:05:03,600 --> 00:05:08,400 Speaker 1: I had a really strong preference. The flavor was better. Yeah, yeah, 78 00:05:08,440 --> 00:05:10,719 Speaker 1: he would he would have. We'd always have it with bertini. 79 00:05:10,839 --> 00:05:13,000 Speaker 1: But anyway, Yeah, but when I was a kid, I 80 00:05:13,360 --> 00:05:17,600 Speaker 1: was a very strange kid. I didn't like cheese. No, no no, no, 81 00:05:17,720 --> 00:05:20,120 Speaker 1: I'm sorry. I just I just gasped and realized it 82 00:05:20,160 --> 00:05:24,480 Speaker 1: wasn't Velvita. It was cheese Whiz in a Jar, which 83 00:05:24,520 --> 00:05:29,000 Speaker 1: is essentially the same project. But yeah, that was a 84 00:05:29,080 --> 00:05:32,040 Speaker 1: very serious moment for you. That was no. I felt so, 85 00:05:32,160 --> 00:05:36,360 Speaker 1: I felt like I misrepresented my father and my childhood 86 00:05:36,360 --> 00:05:40,160 Speaker 1: and my brand loyalty. Oh no, anything but that, anything, 87 00:05:40,279 --> 00:05:44,080 Speaker 1: anything but that. I'm sorry I was saying. I was 88 00:05:44,120 --> 00:05:46,800 Speaker 1: a weird child and I didn't like cheese. I ordered 89 00:05:46,800 --> 00:05:52,360 Speaker 1: pizza without cheese. Um, So I didn't like American cheese. Um. 90 00:05:52,480 --> 00:05:54,640 Speaker 1: But when I got to college, that's when I like 91 00:05:55,240 --> 00:05:58,080 Speaker 1: came around to my love of cheese. And so American 92 00:05:58,160 --> 00:05:59,719 Speaker 1: cheese for me, doesn't make me think of childhood. It 93 00:05:59,720 --> 00:06:02,080 Speaker 1: makes me think of college when I would be my 94 00:06:02,240 --> 00:06:04,960 Speaker 1: dorm room freshman year and I had i'm pretty sure 95 00:06:04,960 --> 00:06:08,040 Speaker 1: illegal George Foreman grill, and I would just make those 96 00:06:08,040 --> 00:06:11,599 Speaker 1: grilled cheese. Oh they're so good with American cheese. They're 97 00:06:11,640 --> 00:06:14,400 Speaker 1: kind of perfectly designed for that. Yeah. Okay, so all 98 00:06:14,440 --> 00:06:19,640 Speaker 1: of that aside, what is it? Who? I am so 99 00:06:19,680 --> 00:06:22,720 Speaker 1: glad you asked? Okay, so so so Technically, we're talking 100 00:06:22,720 --> 00:06:26,320 Speaker 1: about two different things here that are often conflated, and 101 00:06:26,400 --> 00:06:30,719 Speaker 1: those are American cheese and processed cheese. The term American 102 00:06:30,800 --> 00:06:33,960 Speaker 1: cheese originated to described cheese is made in America via 103 00:06:34,400 --> 00:06:37,920 Speaker 1: ingredients and a production method similar to cheddar cheese, but 104 00:06:38,200 --> 00:06:41,680 Speaker 1: minus a step the pressing of the kurds to remove 105 00:06:41,760 --> 00:06:45,120 Speaker 1: extra water in this specific way that's called cheddaring, which 106 00:06:45,120 --> 00:06:48,880 Speaker 1: we talked about in our cheddar cheese episode aforementioned um. 107 00:06:48,960 --> 00:06:51,080 Speaker 1: The result of this process is a cheese. It's a 108 00:06:51,080 --> 00:06:53,440 Speaker 1: little bit softer and a little bit more mild than 109 00:06:53,520 --> 00:06:57,000 Speaker 1: cheddar um. It might also be called granular cheese. But 110 00:06:57,600 --> 00:07:00,840 Speaker 1: when most people talk about American cheese, they are usually 111 00:07:00,839 --> 00:07:06,400 Speaker 1: referring to process cheese or cheese food. That is a 112 00:07:06,480 --> 00:07:08,960 Speaker 1: quote to term. A lot of these products don't even 113 00:07:09,040 --> 00:07:14,920 Speaker 1: have cheese in the name. Enough said, right done? No? No? No? Okay, 114 00:07:15,160 --> 00:07:19,000 Speaker 1: Well how about the f D A definition pasteurized process 115 00:07:19,040 --> 00:07:25,920 Speaker 1: American cheese? Still questions as well? You should have yes, okay, 116 00:07:25,960 --> 00:07:30,520 Speaker 1: I mean, think of think of cheese. Faxy cheese. Humans 117 00:07:30,520 --> 00:07:32,480 Speaker 1: have been making it for thousands of years because it 118 00:07:32,600 --> 00:07:36,000 Speaker 1: is such an efficient and tasty way to preserve nutritious 119 00:07:36,000 --> 00:07:40,840 Speaker 1: milk beyond its normal expiry date, but it comes from animals, 120 00:07:40,840 --> 00:07:42,280 Speaker 1: so it tends to be a little bit different from 121 00:07:42,320 --> 00:07:45,080 Speaker 1: batch to batch. There is stuff produced in factories to 122 00:07:45,160 --> 00:07:48,000 Speaker 1: create a consistent product, but even that can vary slightly 123 00:07:48,040 --> 00:07:51,000 Speaker 1: in flavor and texture. And either way you have to 124 00:07:51,080 --> 00:07:54,720 Speaker 1: keep it refrigerated or eat it kind of immediately, and 125 00:07:54,800 --> 00:07:57,600 Speaker 1: it's probably kind of expensive or can be depending on 126 00:07:57,920 --> 00:08:00,920 Speaker 1: what fancy type you get. Um. Oh, and also when 127 00:08:00,960 --> 00:08:02,880 Speaker 1: you cook it, you've got to be careful because when 128 00:08:02,920 --> 00:08:05,000 Speaker 1: you heat cheese, the fats can melt away from the 129 00:08:05,000 --> 00:08:07,880 Speaker 1: rest of the cheese solids, leaving you with a pool 130 00:08:07,920 --> 00:08:13,040 Speaker 1: of oil and lumpy, curty mess. Very sad, not pleasant, 131 00:08:14,440 --> 00:08:18,560 Speaker 1: but not so with American cheese. No, this stuff is 132 00:08:18,640 --> 00:08:22,240 Speaker 1: heck and consistent. Unopened, a package may be able to 133 00:08:22,280 --> 00:08:25,400 Speaker 1: sit in your pantry for months. Months open, the package 134 00:08:25,440 --> 00:08:28,640 Speaker 1: can sit in your fridge for months months. It's inexpensive, 135 00:08:29,080 --> 00:08:32,079 Speaker 1: and it melts like a dream. Assuming that you dream 136 00:08:32,080 --> 00:08:33,880 Speaker 1: about nachos, And I mean, if you don't, I'm not 137 00:08:33,920 --> 00:08:37,200 Speaker 1: sure what we'd have to talk about. You know, that's 138 00:08:37,360 --> 00:08:43,280 Speaker 1: all Laura talks about. It's up there. American cheese is 139 00:08:43,320 --> 00:08:47,000 Speaker 1: a type of processed cheese or prepared cheese, which is 140 00:08:47,040 --> 00:08:49,600 Speaker 1: a fancy way of saying cheese that has been melted 141 00:08:49,640 --> 00:08:52,400 Speaker 1: down with some extra stuff that will give it shelf 142 00:08:52,400 --> 00:08:59,760 Speaker 1: stability and a smooth texture. Mm hmm. But how why 143 00:09:00,160 --> 00:09:06,199 Speaker 1: is it really cheese? Well, that's complicated. The answer is 144 00:09:06,240 --> 00:09:11,120 Speaker 1: that it's at least fifty one cheese. Okay, So here 145 00:09:11,160 --> 00:09:14,800 Speaker 1: in the United States, the FDA has crafted Oh that's 146 00:09:14,800 --> 00:09:17,400 Speaker 1: a pun I didn't even realize. A nice good job 147 00:09:17,520 --> 00:09:23,560 Speaker 1: me crafted and exhaustively specific legal definition of what process 148 00:09:23,640 --> 00:09:26,440 Speaker 1: cheese is. The short version is that it's a type 149 00:09:26,440 --> 00:09:30,240 Speaker 1: of food made by pulverizing, heating, and mixing actual cheese 150 00:09:30,240 --> 00:09:33,480 Speaker 1: of one or more types with an emulsifier into that 151 00:09:33,760 --> 00:09:38,720 Speaker 1: homogeneous plastic mass. And as we said, that is plastic 152 00:09:38,880 --> 00:09:43,960 Speaker 1: as in the physical definition a substance easily shaped or molded. 153 00:09:44,720 --> 00:09:48,040 Speaker 1: Process cheese is not made of plastic, right, but it 154 00:09:48,160 --> 00:09:52,280 Speaker 1: can contain water, salt, colors, flavorings, vitamins, and a number 155 00:09:52,320 --> 00:09:56,640 Speaker 1: of additional fats, acidifying agents, mold inhibitors, and anti sticking 156 00:09:56,640 --> 00:10:03,520 Speaker 1: agents anti sticking agents, ah has hands. The key to 157 00:10:03,720 --> 00:10:08,600 Speaker 1: processed cheese is smoothness, though, is those emulsifying agents and 158 00:10:08,600 --> 00:10:11,360 Speaker 1: We've talked a little bit before about emulsions on the show, 159 00:10:11,480 --> 00:10:14,920 Speaker 1: but in short, an emulsion is a mixture of two 160 00:10:14,920 --> 00:10:17,840 Speaker 1: liquids that don't usually like to mix, like like oil 161 00:10:17,880 --> 00:10:20,760 Speaker 1: and water. No matter how you stir or shake them together, 162 00:10:20,960 --> 00:10:24,480 Speaker 1: they will separate back out, but emulsifiers make the two 163 00:10:24,480 --> 00:10:28,720 Speaker 1: play nice chemically speaking. That's because the emulsifiers can interact 164 00:10:28,760 --> 00:10:32,840 Speaker 1: with both liquids, grabbing globules of one and suspending them 165 00:10:32,880 --> 00:10:36,920 Speaker 1: evenly throughout the other and making this very strange gesture. 166 00:10:36,920 --> 00:10:40,440 Speaker 1: I'm not sure what it is anyway. Um Those those 167 00:10:40,440 --> 00:10:45,040 Speaker 1: other optional ingredients are texture and flavor enhancers and preservatives, 168 00:10:45,160 --> 00:10:48,200 Speaker 1: and a few cheese making shortcuts that are designed to 169 00:10:48,240 --> 00:10:53,280 Speaker 1: speed the manufacturing process along. And yes, processed cheese is 170 00:10:53,360 --> 00:10:57,120 Speaker 1: essentially science cheese, but as long as the finished product 171 00:10:57,360 --> 00:11:02,720 Speaker 1: closely resembles it's actual cheese and ingredients in terms of moisture, fat, 172 00:11:03,080 --> 00:11:07,320 Speaker 1: and pH levels, it can be legally called processed cheese 173 00:11:07,640 --> 00:11:11,400 Speaker 1: pasteurized processed cheese. Specifically, if it's made from cheddar, washed curd, 174 00:11:11,440 --> 00:11:15,640 Speaker 1: colby or granular cheese, it can be called American cheese. 175 00:11:17,559 --> 00:11:21,400 Speaker 1: But uh, you mentioned before that cheese food kind of 176 00:11:21,440 --> 00:11:26,280 Speaker 1: descriptor y'all may have noticed some extra descriptors like that 177 00:11:26,360 --> 00:11:29,959 Speaker 1: creeping onto packages, or maybe you haven't because the companies 178 00:11:30,000 --> 00:11:33,439 Speaker 1: that mark them really don't want you to notice them. 179 00:11:34,040 --> 00:11:41,720 Speaker 1: The main categories are pasteurized, processed, cheese, food, spread, and product. Man, 180 00:11:42,840 --> 00:11:44,640 Speaker 1: I would have no idea. I want to look at 181 00:11:44,679 --> 00:11:49,800 Speaker 1: labels more closely. These designations indicate that other ingredients have 182 00:11:49,920 --> 00:11:53,520 Speaker 1: been added that reduced the amount of actual cheese in 183 00:11:53,559 --> 00:11:58,640 Speaker 1: the finished food. So cheese food can contain additional milk, 184 00:11:58,800 --> 00:12:03,280 Speaker 1: skilled milk, buttermilk and cheese way. These lower the cost 185 00:12:03,360 --> 00:12:07,560 Speaker 1: of producing the cheese and increase the meltiness. But cheese 186 00:12:07,559 --> 00:12:10,319 Speaker 1: food must still have moisture, fat, and pH levels that 187 00:12:10,360 --> 00:12:14,760 Speaker 1: are close to that of natural cheese. Cheese product can 188 00:12:14,840 --> 00:12:19,480 Speaker 1: throw those rules right out the window, and cheese spread 189 00:12:19,640 --> 00:12:24,040 Speaker 1: may have added moisture sweeteners, starches, and moisture binding gums 190 00:12:24,320 --> 00:12:30,800 Speaker 1: or hydro colloids to optimize spread ability. You want optimal spreadability, 191 00:12:30,840 --> 00:12:33,240 Speaker 1: if you do, that's what that's what you gotta put 192 00:12:33,320 --> 00:12:36,400 Speaker 1: up with. But again, in order to still use the 193 00:12:36,440 --> 00:12:40,359 Speaker 1: word cheese on the label with the correct spelling of cheese, 194 00:12:41,240 --> 00:12:48,400 Speaker 1: all of these creations share one overarching quality cheese content. 195 00:12:49,360 --> 00:12:53,080 Speaker 1: That's all by weight. I think some days that could 196 00:12:53,080 --> 00:13:00,280 Speaker 1: be me just cheese content with all kinds of other 197 00:13:00,360 --> 00:13:06,720 Speaker 1: bind binders and stabilizers, alsifiers. Yeah, I should get a label. 198 00:13:07,040 --> 00:13:09,120 Speaker 1: Oh my goodness, all right, we needed we need a 199 00:13:09,120 --> 00:13:13,360 Speaker 1: T shirt and and all of that is a really 200 00:13:13,400 --> 00:13:17,040 Speaker 1: really long way of saying that, yes, American cheese is cheese, 201 00:13:17,360 --> 00:13:20,960 Speaker 1: but it's also kind of a lot of other stuff. Yeah. 202 00:13:21,200 --> 00:13:26,320 Speaker 1: The Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics ordered Craft Singles the 203 00:13:26,400 --> 00:13:29,840 Speaker 1: Kids Eat Right labeled, the first food to receive the 204 00:13:29,920 --> 00:13:34,760 Speaker 1: designation in I think. Um. There's been some speculation from 205 00:13:34,800 --> 00:13:37,160 Speaker 1: those in the food industry that this is because of 206 00:13:37,200 --> 00:13:42,640 Speaker 1: crafts influence within the Academy. Craft Singles fall into the 207 00:13:42,720 --> 00:13:45,559 Speaker 1: category of of cheese product, that kind of that kind 208 00:13:45,559 --> 00:13:49,360 Speaker 1: of middle ground of cheesiness. As far as processed cheese 209 00:13:49,360 --> 00:13:54,240 Speaker 1: goes nutrition wise, it has more carbohydrates and salt than 210 00:13:54,320 --> 00:13:57,440 Speaker 1: regular cheese does, but less of kind of everything else, 211 00:13:57,960 --> 00:14:01,920 Speaker 1: fewer calories, less fat, less roteine, less vitamin A and 212 00:14:01,960 --> 00:14:05,280 Speaker 1: calcium in less extra vitamins and minerals have been added 213 00:14:05,320 --> 00:14:08,760 Speaker 1: back in. If you were, for example, to spend a 214 00:14:08,760 --> 00:14:12,200 Speaker 1: few minutes on the internet comparing a slice of Craft 215 00:14:12,200 --> 00:14:16,160 Speaker 1: Singles two percent milk American cheese slices with an equal 216 00:14:16,200 --> 00:14:20,480 Speaker 1: weight of Kroger brand extra sharp cheddar cheese. Here's what 217 00:14:20,480 --> 00:14:23,120 Speaker 1: you're looking at. The cheddar has one point six times 218 00:14:23,120 --> 00:14:27,160 Speaker 1: more calories, two point four times more fat, one point 219 00:14:27,240 --> 00:14:30,720 Speaker 1: two times as much protein, and two point five times 220 00:14:30,720 --> 00:14:34,160 Speaker 1: as much vitamin A. The process cheese, on the other hand, 221 00:14:34,400 --> 00:14:37,560 Speaker 1: but with added calcium, has six point seven times as 222 00:14:37,680 --> 00:14:41,800 Speaker 1: much sugar, one point four times more calcium, and about 223 00:14:41,800 --> 00:14:45,440 Speaker 1: twice as much sodium. And the exact value of all 224 00:14:45,480 --> 00:14:49,760 Speaker 1: of this on a person's well being could be debated, Like, 225 00:14:49,920 --> 00:14:53,800 Speaker 1: fewer calories overall is hypothetically laudable, and it's nice that 226 00:14:53,840 --> 00:14:56,280 Speaker 1: you can add more calcium and other vitamins and minerals 227 00:14:56,280 --> 00:15:00,760 Speaker 1: to the process cheese. But given her research about the 228 00:15:00,760 --> 00:15:05,200 Speaker 1: effects of sugars versus fats on one's health, decreasing the 229 00:15:05,280 --> 00:15:09,760 Speaker 1: fat content and increasing the sugar content isn't isn't good? No, 230 00:15:10,880 --> 00:15:13,680 Speaker 1: And the real cheese definitely scores points for having more 231 00:15:13,680 --> 00:15:19,960 Speaker 1: protein and less salt. According to the Academy's executive director 232 00:15:20,280 --> 00:15:24,520 Speaker 1: in an article in The New York Times, labeling craft 233 00:15:24,560 --> 00:15:27,920 Speaker 1: singles with that kids Eat Right thing is not an 234 00:15:28,000 --> 00:15:32,880 Speaker 1: endorsement of Craft Singles by the Academy, but rather identifies 235 00:15:32,960 --> 00:15:35,640 Speaker 1: the Craft brand as a supporter of the Kids Eat 236 00:15:35,680 --> 00:15:39,760 Speaker 1: Right program and provides greater consumer awareness of kids Eat 237 00:15:39,840 --> 00:15:43,440 Speaker 1: right dot org as an educational resource. Oh that's clear 238 00:15:43,480 --> 00:15:48,000 Speaker 1: as day. Craft brand representatives maintain that as a kid 239 00:15:48,080 --> 00:15:50,760 Speaker 1: friendly product, Craft singles are a good way to get 240 00:15:50,800 --> 00:15:58,120 Speaker 1: kids to eat more calcium in vitamin D. M M. Yeah, yeah, 241 00:15:58,320 --> 00:16:04,480 Speaker 1: just pay attention to labels. Is we're saying, perhaps, absolutely, always, always, 242 00:16:04,480 --> 00:16:09,560 Speaker 1: my friends, some numbers here we go. According to Kraft, 243 00:16:09,680 --> 00:16:13,360 Speaker 1: the company behind those Crafts singles, surprised that for most 244 00:16:13,400 --> 00:16:16,120 Speaker 1: of us is the quintessential product when you're talking about 245 00:16:16,120 --> 00:16:19,120 Speaker 1: American cheese. They sell seven point to billion of those 246 00:16:19,160 --> 00:16:22,520 Speaker 1: slices a year. But that's just a single product. The 247 00:16:22,600 --> 00:16:25,880 Speaker 1: global value of the processed cheese market was valued at 248 00:16:25,920 --> 00:16:30,400 Speaker 1: over thirty two billion dollars as often and was expected 249 00:16:30,400 --> 00:16:34,200 Speaker 1: to grow from there. Wow, it's not a bottom, it's 250 00:16:34,240 --> 00:16:37,400 Speaker 1: not a top anyway. Yeah, it's biggest in North America 251 00:16:37,440 --> 00:16:40,160 Speaker 1: and Europe, but with increasing markets in Asia, Africa and 252 00:16:40,200 --> 00:16:43,280 Speaker 1: South America as the growing middle classes gain access to 253 00:16:43,400 --> 00:16:49,120 Speaker 1: fast food and convenience foods. M it's doing all right, Yeah, 254 00:16:49,160 --> 00:16:53,960 Speaker 1: it's doing just fine. Well, let's talk about how it 255 00:16:54,120 --> 00:16:57,400 Speaker 1: got to be got to be this multiple plastic thing 256 00:16:57,440 --> 00:17:02,360 Speaker 1: that it is incredibly successful, holdible plastic. Yeah, but first 257 00:17:02,720 --> 00:17:14,960 Speaker 1: let's hear a quick word from our sponsor and we're back. 258 00:17:15,000 --> 00:17:18,280 Speaker 1: Thank you sponsor. All right, let's go down that alternate 259 00:17:18,359 --> 00:17:22,640 Speaker 1: timeline of the Cheddar episode where we just stopped and said, like, y'all, 260 00:17:22,680 --> 00:17:25,320 Speaker 1: this is going to be a different episode exactly here 261 00:17:25,119 --> 00:17:27,760 Speaker 1: here that episode is. This is the sliding doors moment. Yeah, 262 00:17:27,800 --> 00:17:33,800 Speaker 1: here we go. Okay. As we mentioned in that episode, 263 00:17:33,800 --> 00:17:36,800 Speaker 1: the first American cheese factory in New York in eighteen 264 00:17:36,880 --> 00:17:40,879 Speaker 1: fifty one was opened by Jesse Williams as part of 265 00:17:40,920 --> 00:17:43,680 Speaker 1: a father son partnership, and according to something I read 266 00:17:43,720 --> 00:17:46,440 Speaker 1: on Mental Flause, the dad came up with the idea 267 00:17:46,520 --> 00:17:52,000 Speaker 1: to hide his son's poor cheese making prowess. Yeah. The 268 00:17:52,040 --> 00:17:55,840 Speaker 1: model of buying milk from local farms and centralizing production 269 00:17:55,880 --> 00:17:58,960 Speaker 1: at one location made cheesemaking in the US viable in 270 00:17:58,960 --> 00:18:01,960 Speaker 1: a way it had not been before. And from there 271 00:18:02,040 --> 00:18:06,040 Speaker 1: American cheese factories spread like the spreadable cheese, and so 272 00:18:06,160 --> 00:18:11,240 Speaker 1: did that sort of generic yellowish American cheddar non cheddared cheddar, 273 00:18:11,520 --> 00:18:15,440 Speaker 1: yeah right. Consumers called it yellow cheese or store cheese, 274 00:18:15,440 --> 00:18:18,800 Speaker 1: which I love storage seor cheese, not not that other 275 00:18:18,840 --> 00:18:24,400 Speaker 1: store cheese, store cheese. But Williams isn't the name most 276 00:18:24,440 --> 00:18:27,040 Speaker 1: of us would associate with American cheese, or that's what 277 00:18:27,160 --> 00:18:31,480 Speaker 1: I would gather. Nope, that distinction goes to James L. Craft. 278 00:18:32,320 --> 00:18:36,280 Speaker 1: That Craft, Yes, that Craft, with less than one dollars 279 00:18:36,320 --> 00:18:39,199 Speaker 1: to his name. Craft moved to Chicago from Canada in 280 00:18:39,280 --> 00:18:43,960 Speaker 1: nineteen o three intending to sell some cheese. He bought 281 00:18:44,000 --> 00:18:46,800 Speaker 1: a horse and buggy and would rise early in the 282 00:18:46,800 --> 00:18:49,479 Speaker 1: morning to get the first crack at buying cheese at 283 00:18:49,480 --> 00:18:52,480 Speaker 1: the market, and then would sell his purchased cheese to 284 00:18:52,520 --> 00:18:55,840 Speaker 1: grocery stores. After doing this for a bit and observing 285 00:18:55,840 --> 00:18:58,600 Speaker 1: how quickly cheese and grocery stores spoiled, he got to 286 00:18:58,680 --> 00:19:02,560 Speaker 1: thinking about ways to deuce cheese waste. This was a 287 00:19:02,600 --> 00:19:08,440 Speaker 1: particular problem and warmer weather and climates, which yeah, that's 288 00:19:08,480 --> 00:19:11,720 Speaker 1: pretty pretty clear, doesn't it doesn't chip, Well, no, no 289 00:19:11,840 --> 00:19:14,600 Speaker 1: it doesn't. He got the idea to try jarring and 290 00:19:14,760 --> 00:19:18,800 Speaker 1: canning cheese. Kraft took any leftover cheddar, shredded it up, 291 00:19:19,000 --> 00:19:23,159 Speaker 1: repasteurized it and added some sodium phosphate, and what he 292 00:19:23,200 --> 00:19:27,320 Speaker 1: was left with was American cheese. It became official with 293 00:19:27,359 --> 00:19:32,360 Speaker 1: a bright shiny patent in nineteen sixt The patent reads um, 294 00:19:33,800 --> 00:19:36,760 Speaker 1: the chief object of the invention is to convert cheese 295 00:19:36,800 --> 00:19:39,479 Speaker 1: of the Cheddar genus into such condition that it may 296 00:19:39,520 --> 00:19:44,320 Speaker 1: be kept indefinitely without spoiling, under conditions which would ordinarily 297 00:19:44,400 --> 00:19:47,440 Speaker 1: cause it to spoil, and to accomplish this result without 298 00:19:47,480 --> 00:19:55,200 Speaker 1: substantially impairing the taste of the cheese. Yes, the Cheddar genus. 299 00:19:55,240 --> 00:19:59,000 Speaker 1: I love that Kraft may have gotten the idea to 300 00:19:59,040 --> 00:20:02,480 Speaker 1: experiment with can from two fellas out of Switzerland testing 301 00:20:02,520 --> 00:20:05,480 Speaker 1: out the same thing with local cheese. One of the 302 00:20:05,480 --> 00:20:08,359 Speaker 1: things they tried was putting some sodium citrate on cheese 303 00:20:08,359 --> 00:20:10,439 Speaker 1: as it was melting, and lo and behold the cheese 304 00:20:10,440 --> 00:20:14,679 Speaker 1: held together and melted in all its glory. Yes, it 305 00:20:14,800 --> 00:20:18,159 Speaker 1: was nineteen eleven and these Swiss cheesemakers, Walter Gerber and 306 00:20:18,320 --> 00:20:22,679 Speaker 1: Fritz Stettler, developed the first commercial processed cheese. This was 307 00:20:22,720 --> 00:20:24,600 Speaker 1: while they were trying to find a way to ship 308 00:20:24,600 --> 00:20:28,680 Speaker 1: their products too warm climates without that gross fat separation 309 00:20:28,840 --> 00:20:32,920 Speaker 1: thing happening. Along the way. They were perhaps inspired by 310 00:20:32,960 --> 00:20:37,520 Speaker 1: European cheese dips and sauces like font deu Welsh rabbit 311 00:20:37,640 --> 00:20:43,359 Speaker 1: sometimes called wear bit and the German carquis or French conquyant, 312 00:20:43,840 --> 00:20:46,919 Speaker 1: in which shredded cheese is heated with extra ingredients like 313 00:20:47,040 --> 00:20:50,119 Speaker 1: eggs or beer or baking soda to keep the melted 314 00:20:50,160 --> 00:20:53,560 Speaker 1: mixture nice and smooth. And these two dudes realized that 315 00:20:53,600 --> 00:20:56,959 Speaker 1: when you let such concoctions cool down, they confirm up 316 00:20:57,000 --> 00:21:00,960 Speaker 1: into these solid, long lasting blocks, and they'd settled on 317 00:21:01,040 --> 00:21:05,840 Speaker 1: sodium sit trait as an inexpensive yet effective ingredient, indeed, 318 00:21:06,640 --> 00:21:10,240 Speaker 1: simultaneously to crass patents. One of the cheese companies to 319 00:21:10,280 --> 00:21:12,359 Speaker 1: pop up in New York following that first factory was 320 00:21:12,440 --> 00:21:16,119 Speaker 1: the Monroe Cheese Company, and they became a big player 321 00:21:16,240 --> 00:21:20,159 Speaker 1: in the US cheese market. They too were looking to 322 00:21:20,240 --> 00:21:23,520 Speaker 1: reduce cheese waste, particularly when it came to broken Swiss 323 00:21:23,640 --> 00:21:27,600 Speaker 1: cheese wheels they received from their Pennsylvania factory. The company 324 00:21:27,600 --> 00:21:32,119 Speaker 1: put their cheese specialist, Emil Frey or is it Fry 325 00:21:32,720 --> 00:21:38,720 Speaker 1: be well, it's that either one Frey or Fry. He 326 00:21:38,800 --> 00:21:42,120 Speaker 1: was on the case. Fry was coming off the well 327 00:21:42,160 --> 00:21:45,359 Speaker 1: received invention of an American riff on Limburger cheese he 328 00:21:45,400 --> 00:21:49,720 Speaker 1: called Leader Class. Fry took the cheese pieces he salvaged 329 00:21:49,760 --> 00:21:52,080 Speaker 1: from the broken wheels and ran a couple of experiments 330 00:21:52,119 --> 00:21:55,640 Speaker 1: with them on his home stove. When he added some 331 00:21:55,760 --> 00:21:58,679 Speaker 1: cheese by products like way Back into the cheese, it 332 00:21:58,760 --> 00:22:02,879 Speaker 1: resulted into these easily molded cheese product that melted like 333 00:22:02,960 --> 00:22:09,480 Speaker 1: a velvet dream. Because of that, Fry named it Velvita. 334 00:22:11,240 --> 00:22:15,760 Speaker 1: Craft would purchase Velvita, which functioned independently outside of the 335 00:22:15,840 --> 00:22:21,280 Speaker 1: Monroe Cheese Company. In or That's one version, a spokesperson 336 00:22:21,320 --> 00:22:25,400 Speaker 1: from Craft claims they figured it out internally and used 337 00:22:25,400 --> 00:22:30,840 Speaker 1: Fry's name externally for laughs. I don't know. Um adds 338 00:22:30,880 --> 00:22:33,960 Speaker 1: a Craft rand for the product in described it as 339 00:22:34,600 --> 00:22:38,800 Speaker 1: a product of scientific research that was as workable as 340 00:22:38,880 --> 00:22:42,879 Speaker 1: butter m HM, which is one of the reasons how 341 00:22:42,920 --> 00:22:45,760 Speaker 1: it ended up on so many vegetables like cauliflower, which 342 00:22:45,760 --> 00:22:48,240 Speaker 1: we touched on briefly in that episode. It was pushed 343 00:22:48,240 --> 00:22:50,680 Speaker 1: to something you could put on top of leftovers to 344 00:22:50,880 --> 00:22:54,240 Speaker 1: jazz them up. That and Craft marketing it as a 345 00:22:54,280 --> 00:22:58,160 Speaker 1: health food for quote weight watching moms and in Calories 346 00:22:58,200 --> 00:23:04,560 Speaker 1: and fat Um. There's another ad from them behind every successful. 347 00:23:04,600 --> 00:23:07,920 Speaker 1: Little boy is a mother who serves Velvita. Oh my goodness, yeah, 348 00:23:08,040 --> 00:23:10,159 Speaker 1: do you like to give the kids a treat after school? 349 00:23:10,400 --> 00:23:14,160 Speaker 1: Smart mothers naked a Velveta treat for extra fine nutrition. 350 00:23:14,240 --> 00:23:17,760 Speaker 1: They cause crafts famous pasteurized process geese spread is extra 351 00:23:17,840 --> 00:23:20,960 Speaker 1: good for youngsters, and sandwiches and cracker snacks. Even the 352 00:23:21,000 --> 00:23:28,080 Speaker 1: American Medical Association got on board, saying Velvita promoted firm flesh, 353 00:23:28,119 --> 00:23:31,560 Speaker 1: which sounds like an endorsement from a serial killer. It does, 354 00:23:31,840 --> 00:23:35,920 Speaker 1: it does in dude, but serial killers are not. It 355 00:23:36,040 --> 00:23:38,560 Speaker 1: was easy to market an American food culture at the 356 00:23:38,560 --> 00:23:44,600 Speaker 1: time was increasingly valuing brand consistency and mild flavors and convenience. 357 00:23:45,119 --> 00:23:50,640 Speaker 1: All about that convenience and apart from vegetables. A recipe 358 00:23:50,680 --> 00:23:54,320 Speaker 1: released by the company suggested pouring Velvita on top of 359 00:23:54,440 --> 00:23:59,160 Speaker 1: a toasted peanut, butter and pickle sandwich. Wolla whoa toasted peanut, 360 00:23:59,200 --> 00:24:07,280 Speaker 1: butter and pickle topped with Velveta sandwich? Well, yeah, I 361 00:24:07,320 --> 00:24:10,000 Speaker 1: do want to eat that. I would try it, for sure. 362 00:24:10,560 --> 00:24:13,080 Speaker 1: I think I'm I'm like pre upset about it, but 363 00:24:13,280 --> 00:24:16,080 Speaker 1: I definitely I'm pret upset about how much I'll like it. 364 00:24:17,160 --> 00:24:19,159 Speaker 1: That's the upsetting bit because I'll be like, well, this 365 00:24:19,240 --> 00:24:21,919 Speaker 1: is delicious, and I'm and I hate me now I 366 00:24:21,960 --> 00:24:25,760 Speaker 1: think I think I would like it too. I'm intrigued. 367 00:24:26,000 --> 00:24:29,040 Speaker 1: Who came up with this idea? I don't know. We'll 368 00:24:29,080 --> 00:24:32,359 Speaker 1: have to we might have to test it absolutely, Okay. 369 00:24:32,440 --> 00:24:34,280 Speaker 1: And maybe that peanut butter and mayo sandwich that I 370 00:24:34,359 --> 00:24:37,280 Speaker 1: ran across from the internet the other day. Yeah, yeah, 371 00:24:37,880 --> 00:24:39,840 Speaker 1: peanut butter is one of my favorite foods of all times. 372 00:24:39,880 --> 00:24:43,199 Speaker 1: So if anything could make me like mayo, I don't know, 373 00:24:44,720 --> 00:24:48,440 Speaker 1: it's like the matter anti matter Annie Sandwi exactly. Maybe 374 00:24:48,480 --> 00:24:54,360 Speaker 1: I'll just poof anyway. Yes, one last health note. Despite 375 00:24:54,400 --> 00:24:58,560 Speaker 1: not being quote real cheese um, for the up to 376 00:24:58,680 --> 00:25:01,719 Speaker 1: six of the world that have some form of lactose intolerance, 377 00:25:01,960 --> 00:25:05,640 Speaker 1: Velvita is trouble, more trouble than cheese like parmesan, which 378 00:25:05,640 --> 00:25:08,920 Speaker 1: has small amounts of lactose. Yeah. To do the manufacturing process, 379 00:25:08,920 --> 00:25:10,879 Speaker 1: you wind up with more of those milk sugars in 380 00:25:10,920 --> 00:25:15,120 Speaker 1: there to help a flavor and texture the product. Yeah. Thanks. 381 00:25:15,119 --> 00:25:18,040 Speaker 1: In part two, World War one, crafts American cheese was 382 00:25:18,080 --> 00:25:22,159 Speaker 1: pretty much an instant commercial success, but despite what you 383 00:25:22,240 --> 00:25:25,200 Speaker 1: might think, it wasn't cheap. Either, Craft was able to 384 00:25:25,280 --> 00:25:29,200 Speaker 1: successfully market the stuff as safer and more reliable than 385 00:25:29,320 --> 00:25:31,720 Speaker 1: other products you might get. It was the big Mac 386 00:25:31,760 --> 00:25:34,480 Speaker 1: of cheese, and I also I am pretty sure it's 387 00:25:34,480 --> 00:25:38,800 Speaker 1: the cheese on big Mix. Probably probably the marketing worked. 388 00:25:38,800 --> 00:25:42,320 Speaker 1: By the nineteen twenties, Jailed Craft and Bros. Was bringing 389 00:25:42,320 --> 00:25:45,280 Speaker 1: it in quite a hunk of cheese millions of dollars. 390 00:25:45,880 --> 00:25:50,600 Speaker 1: Craft cheese accounted for about forty percent of the US 391 00:25:50,680 --> 00:25:54,760 Speaker 1: cheese market by nineteen thirty. While American cheese and velvita 392 00:25:54,840 --> 00:25:57,800 Speaker 1: perhaps weren't as cheap as you'd expect, they were cheaper 393 00:25:57,800 --> 00:26:00,640 Speaker 1: than milk and got a boost during the eight Depression 394 00:26:00,680 --> 00:26:04,480 Speaker 1: because of this. And this popularity grew with the rations 395 00:26:04,520 --> 00:26:07,439 Speaker 1: on cheddar and milk in World War Two. But you 396 00:26:07,480 --> 00:26:10,280 Speaker 1: know who didn't like this and not one bit? Who 397 00:26:11,280 --> 00:26:16,960 Speaker 1: the quote natural cheesemaker? Oh I can imagine, yes, does 398 00:26:17,000 --> 00:26:21,240 Speaker 1: anything like butter and margin in our butter episode. Yeah? Yes, 399 00:26:21,359 --> 00:26:24,840 Speaker 1: they lobbied successfully to require cheese like products to be 400 00:26:24,960 --> 00:26:29,480 Speaker 1: labeled as such. Oh and let's talk about Thomas Jefferson 401 00:26:29,520 --> 00:26:31,480 Speaker 1: for a second. Okay, we haven't had him on the 402 00:26:31,480 --> 00:26:34,000 Speaker 1: show in a minute. Yeah, let's bring him back. While 403 00:26:34,040 --> 00:26:36,159 Speaker 1: he was in France. Jefferson fell in love with this 404 00:26:36,200 --> 00:26:38,879 Speaker 1: little dish you might have heard of, so much so 405 00:26:39,000 --> 00:26:41,960 Speaker 1: that he included it as an item at an eighteen 406 00:26:41,960 --> 00:26:46,640 Speaker 1: o two State dinner. That dish mac and cheese, what 407 00:26:47,119 --> 00:26:54,439 Speaker 1: yep show. Indeed, fast forward to the nineteen thirties and 408 00:26:54,440 --> 00:26:57,840 Speaker 1: the Great Depression, and a traveling salesman of unknown name 409 00:26:58,480 --> 00:27:01,919 Speaker 1: was going door to door touting the I'm assuming mostly 410 00:27:02,000 --> 00:27:06,159 Speaker 1: macaroni products of the Tenderoni Macaroni Company of St. Louis. 411 00:27:06,160 --> 00:27:09,679 Speaker 1: That it's fun to say Tenderoni macaroni. I like it. 412 00:27:09,680 --> 00:27:13,480 Speaker 1: It was cheap but also quite boring. So this salesman 413 00:27:13,520 --> 00:27:16,679 Speaker 1: got the idea to sell packages of the macaroni and 414 00:27:16,760 --> 00:27:21,280 Speaker 1: grated Craft cheese. As you can imagine, it was quite popular. 415 00:27:21,440 --> 00:27:24,399 Speaker 1: And also, as you can imagine, Kraft wanders shut that 416 00:27:24,480 --> 00:27:28,200 Speaker 1: now and then reopen it as their own product, which 417 00:27:28,280 --> 00:27:31,359 Speaker 1: they did hiring the salesman, and by nineteen thirty seven 418 00:27:31,640 --> 00:27:36,200 Speaker 1: American consumers could find the boxed Craft dinner find them. 419 00:27:36,240 --> 00:27:39,080 Speaker 1: They did eight million of them in their first year 420 00:27:39,160 --> 00:27:42,480 Speaker 1: on the shelves. Yeah, in nineteen forty three, during the 421 00:27:42,520 --> 00:27:45,080 Speaker 1: height of World War Two, rationing that number was eighty 422 00:27:45,119 --> 00:27:51,439 Speaker 1: million boxes. Wow mm hmm. It wasn't until nineteen thirty 423 00:27:51,440 --> 00:27:55,119 Speaker 1: five that we get pre sliced American cheese. One of 424 00:27:55,160 --> 00:27:57,320 Speaker 1: the reasons this pre sliced thing was a big deal 425 00:27:57,400 --> 00:28:02,680 Speaker 1: was because processed cheese was like hard, very difficult to cut. 426 00:28:03,240 --> 00:28:05,000 Speaker 1: And this had to do a bit with how the 427 00:28:05,040 --> 00:28:08,359 Speaker 1: product was made. Those cheddar byproducts, um were brought to 428 00:28:09,760 --> 00:28:13,400 Speaker 1: degrees fahrenheit or around seventy nine degrees celsius four fifteen 429 00:28:13,440 --> 00:28:16,720 Speaker 1: minutes and this hot cheese was poured directly into the 430 00:28:16,800 --> 00:28:22,680 Speaker 1: can or whatever solidifying vessel. Imagine trying to cut hot cheese. 431 00:28:23,280 --> 00:28:25,679 Speaker 1: Oh no, that doesn't work well. And then I imagine 432 00:28:25,720 --> 00:28:27,240 Speaker 1: it it would be hard to get out of the 433 00:28:27,280 --> 00:28:33,119 Speaker 1: can and slices. I'm picturing like like a total failure 434 00:28:33,160 --> 00:28:37,080 Speaker 1: to do what Cranberry sauce does. Yes. Um, it was 435 00:28:37,200 --> 00:28:40,520 Speaker 1: James Kraft's brother Norman who arrived at the solution. If 436 00:28:40,520 --> 00:28:43,760 Speaker 1: you poured the hot cheese into a cold, stainless steel 437 00:28:43,840 --> 00:28:46,120 Speaker 1: surface and then even it out with a rolling pin, 438 00:28:46,520 --> 00:28:50,200 Speaker 1: and then once it was cool, slice it, it was 439 00:28:50,240 --> 00:28:54,920 Speaker 1: ready to be sliced, easy peasy, Yeah yeah, yeah, no, yeah. 440 00:28:55,520 --> 00:28:58,120 Speaker 1: There were a few pink stork out and it took 441 00:28:58,200 --> 00:29:02,440 Speaker 1: until nineteen fifty for the process us of process to 442 00:29:02,520 --> 00:29:05,520 Speaker 1: be perfected with the innovation of a chill roll that 443 00:29:05,600 --> 00:29:11,320 Speaker 1: both cooled and cut. Oh, elementary school humor, you never 444 00:29:11,400 --> 00:29:17,040 Speaker 1: let me down. Chill roll cut the cheese. Um. What 445 00:29:17,120 --> 00:29:22,840 Speaker 1: did they call the slices? D luxe process slices? That 446 00:29:22,920 --> 00:29:24,800 Speaker 1: sounds very fancy and also I would have new idea 447 00:29:24,840 --> 00:29:28,560 Speaker 1: what I'm getting. Another fifteen years passed and someone patented 448 00:29:28,640 --> 00:29:31,920 Speaker 1: a process for wrapping individual slices of cheese and plastic. 449 00:29:32,160 --> 00:29:35,440 Speaker 1: Witchcraft took and tweaked for their own purposes, bringing as 450 00:29:35,480 --> 00:29:40,880 Speaker 1: those iconic Craft singles. In nineteen sixty two, Craft purchased 451 00:29:40,880 --> 00:29:47,040 Speaker 1: an underground mine called Springfield Underground near its plant in Springfield, Missouri, 452 00:29:47,600 --> 00:29:49,920 Speaker 1: and they use it as sort of an underground storage 453 00:29:49,960 --> 00:29:54,680 Speaker 1: closet for all their refrigerated products. Yeah, as they had 454 00:29:54,680 --> 00:29:58,480 Speaker 1: the equivalent of around thirteen football fields of space. What 455 00:29:58,680 --> 00:30:00,760 Speaker 1: like the Cheddar games We talked about the Cheddar episode, 456 00:30:00,800 --> 00:30:05,560 Speaker 1: but bigger and somehow more menacing. Yeah, I can't. I'm 457 00:30:05,600 --> 00:30:09,560 Speaker 1: picturing at the end of Indiana Jones. Yeah, with the 458 00:30:09,640 --> 00:30:14,520 Speaker 1: crates forever. I mean, that's it. Good to know an 459 00:30:14,520 --> 00:30:19,480 Speaker 1: apocalypse situation. Uh. The nineteen sixties is the same decade 460 00:30:19,480 --> 00:30:22,120 Speaker 1: when the government included government cheese as an item for 461 00:30:22,240 --> 00:30:25,719 Speaker 1: food stamps and welfare recipients. You can see our Cheddar 462 00:30:25,920 --> 00:30:29,560 Speaker 1: episode for more on that one. President Lyndon B. Johnson 463 00:30:29,680 --> 00:30:33,600 Speaker 1: and lifelong he was president and a lifelong Texan, was 464 00:30:33,640 --> 00:30:37,080 Speaker 1: a huge fan of the combination of vel Vita and tomatoes, 465 00:30:38,120 --> 00:30:41,040 Speaker 1: so much so that his wife, Lady Burt Johnson, submitted 466 00:30:41,080 --> 00:30:45,640 Speaker 1: it to an official cookbook in nineteen seventy six. Jump 467 00:30:45,640 --> 00:30:48,920 Speaker 1: ahead to two thousand five, and the chairman of a 468 00:30:49,040 --> 00:30:51,960 Speaker 1: Texas gallo called the Black Tie and Boots. Inaugural Ball 469 00:30:52,440 --> 00:30:55,560 Speaker 1: said that any gathering worth its salt will require three 470 00:30:55,600 --> 00:30:59,240 Speaker 1: hundred pounds of vel Vita, and on his list of 471 00:30:59,320 --> 00:31:03,160 Speaker 1: necessary thing ings get ranked of third most importance. What 472 00:31:03,520 --> 00:31:08,920 Speaker 1: three pounds of velvita for every gala Okay, yes, every 473 00:31:08,920 --> 00:31:13,360 Speaker 1: gala Lauren share. In nine we see Velvita shells and 474 00:31:13,440 --> 00:31:17,720 Speaker 1: cheese as crafts first foray into the shelf stable market. 475 00:31:18,920 --> 00:31:21,520 Speaker 1: The Velvita and tomato combination got a big boost in 476 00:31:21,560 --> 00:31:25,600 Speaker 1: two thousand two when Rotel and Velvita entered into a 477 00:31:25,680 --> 00:31:29,000 Speaker 1: collaborative marketing agreement to appear side by side and stores 478 00:31:29,040 --> 00:31:32,000 Speaker 1: an agreement, which increased the sales for both companies in 479 00:31:32,080 --> 00:31:36,760 Speaker 1: order to make like thee exactly yeah. Um. That same year, 480 00:31:36,800 --> 00:31:40,320 Speaker 1: the FDA warned Craft to change the labeling on Velvita 481 00:31:40,360 --> 00:31:44,640 Speaker 1: from cheese spread to cheese product. The company complied, and 482 00:31:44,920 --> 00:31:48,800 Speaker 1: I ran in several episodes I've run across this marketing 483 00:31:49,000 --> 00:31:53,680 Speaker 1: partnership as an example of a very successful collaboration. Yeah. 484 00:31:53,920 --> 00:31:56,760 Speaker 1: I always wonder exactly how successful, Like, like like, I'll see 485 00:31:56,760 --> 00:31:59,120 Speaker 1: it in a store and I'll go, why are they bothering? 486 00:31:59,280 --> 00:32:01,640 Speaker 1: Doesn't everyone know that that just happens anyway? But then 487 00:32:01,680 --> 00:32:04,560 Speaker 1: I'm like, oh, nope, nope, apparently it's really big apparently 488 00:32:04,600 --> 00:32:08,200 Speaker 1: and it works really well. Um. And then who could 489 00:32:08,240 --> 00:32:14,960 Speaker 1: forget the cheese Pocalypse of twenty me? Apparently I don't 490 00:32:14,960 --> 00:32:17,840 Speaker 1: remember it, do I do? I remember reading I remember 491 00:32:17,880 --> 00:32:20,520 Speaker 1: reading headlines about it and having this moment of of 492 00:32:20,600 --> 00:32:23,920 Speaker 1: misplaced panic where I was like but and I was like, oh, 493 00:32:23,960 --> 00:32:26,680 Speaker 1: I don't buy that anymore. Okay, I'm gonna be fine. 494 00:32:27,200 --> 00:32:29,200 Speaker 1: I mean, if I just saw cheese Pocalypse, I would 495 00:32:29,240 --> 00:32:33,200 Speaker 1: be panicked. But this is not talking about all cheese. 496 00:32:33,360 --> 00:32:36,440 Speaker 1: The Internet tells me that, and it's backed up by 497 00:32:36,480 --> 00:32:40,360 Speaker 1: Lauren there was a Velveta shortage brought on by increased consumption, 498 00:32:41,200 --> 00:32:45,440 Speaker 1: and heaven forbid, it hit right before the Super Bowl 499 00:32:47,000 --> 00:32:51,280 Speaker 1: Bless my stars. Sales of this stuff went up three 500 00:32:51,360 --> 00:32:57,680 Speaker 1: point seven percent from but why though, Well, it's thanks 501 00:32:57,720 --> 00:33:00,440 Speaker 1: to the increasing need to save money for a lot 502 00:33:00,480 --> 00:33:03,080 Speaker 1: of Americans on tight budgets, leading to a bump in 503 00:33:03,080 --> 00:33:06,800 Speaker 1: sales at places like Family Dollar. Craft of course, turned 504 00:33:06,840 --> 00:33:10,960 Speaker 1: this whole thing into a marketing opportunity, dubbing Velvita our 505 00:33:11,040 --> 00:33:18,600 Speaker 1: nation's most precious commodity liquid gold. Oh my goodness. Um 506 00:33:18,880 --> 00:33:21,320 Speaker 1: final note to bring us to the present and to 507 00:33:21,400 --> 00:33:24,000 Speaker 1: close out this history segment and also one of my 508 00:33:24,040 --> 00:33:29,880 Speaker 1: favorite things I found while researching anything ever, Um, I 509 00:33:29,920 --> 00:33:36,600 Speaker 1: went on a Velvita fan fiction rabbit hole. Literally yeah, um, 510 00:33:36,640 --> 00:33:40,920 Speaker 1: as in fan fiction about Velvita and about rabbits. Yep. 511 00:33:41,480 --> 00:33:44,840 Speaker 1: This was written by it Jason the Skunk okay and name, 512 00:33:45,440 --> 00:33:50,040 Speaker 1: so it's been name and um it's called the Velveta Rabbit. 513 00:33:51,200 --> 00:33:55,840 Speaker 1: The opening line is as follows, there was once a 514 00:33:55,920 --> 00:33:59,000 Speaker 1: rabbit made entirely out of Velvita, and in the beginning 515 00:33:59,320 --> 00:34:04,440 Speaker 1: he seemed really splendid. But this is my favorite bit. 516 00:34:05,560 --> 00:34:08,320 Speaker 1: Fancy all that fuss for a bit of pasteurized, processed 517 00:34:08,400 --> 00:34:11,240 Speaker 1: cheese food. The boy sat up in bed and stretched 518 00:34:11,280 --> 00:34:14,400 Speaker 1: out his hands. Give me my bunny, he said. You 519 00:34:14,520 --> 00:34:20,040 Speaker 1: mustn't say that. He's not invitation. He's real cheese. And 520 00:34:20,160 --> 00:34:23,080 Speaker 1: later you were real to the boy, the cow said, 521 00:34:23,480 --> 00:34:28,359 Speaker 1: and real disgusting to everyone else. It's actually really good. 522 00:34:28,400 --> 00:34:31,840 Speaker 1: I really enjoyed it. Um. There's mentions of spam. There's 523 00:34:31,840 --> 00:34:34,600 Speaker 1: a pump a pun about the wise and old bottle 524 00:34:34,640 --> 00:34:39,319 Speaker 1: of Cabernet Sauvignon being transparent. It's got it all. It's 525 00:34:39,440 --> 00:34:42,279 Speaker 1: very sweet. Um. I don't want to spoil it, but 526 00:34:42,360 --> 00:34:43,960 Speaker 1: it's a heart warmer and it's kind of like a 527 00:34:44,640 --> 00:34:48,919 Speaker 1: cheese version of the Circle of Life. I also read 528 00:34:49,040 --> 00:34:53,680 Speaker 1: a Velvita Harry Potter fan fiction and an Avengers one too, 529 00:34:53,760 --> 00:34:56,520 Speaker 1: so you know, it's what a time to be alive. 530 00:34:56,600 --> 00:35:00,680 Speaker 1: It really is, Lauren, It really is. Yeah, I did. 531 00:35:00,719 --> 00:35:02,799 Speaker 1: I did read at least some of some of the 532 00:35:02,840 --> 00:35:07,080 Speaker 1: Velveta Rabbit, and it is. I personally have huge nostalgia 533 00:35:07,120 --> 00:35:10,799 Speaker 1: also for the Velveteen Rabbit in addition to Velvita, So 534 00:35:10,920 --> 00:35:13,840 Speaker 1: I guess you know it's hitting all the marks. I really, 535 00:35:14,160 --> 00:35:18,160 Speaker 1: I really enjoyed it, So Jason the Skunk, thank you 536 00:35:18,400 --> 00:35:22,560 Speaker 1: for giving us that. That wraps up our history portion. 537 00:35:22,680 --> 00:35:24,799 Speaker 1: We do have a tiny bit of science for you, 538 00:35:25,080 --> 00:35:27,760 Speaker 1: we do. But first we've got one more quick break 539 00:35:27,920 --> 00:35:40,520 Speaker 1: for a word from our sponsor, and we're back. Thank you, sponsor, 540 00:35:40,880 --> 00:35:44,279 Speaker 1: Thank you. One of the things that I never even considered, 541 00:35:44,719 --> 00:35:48,560 Speaker 1: um but ran across is you can make this stuff 542 00:35:48,600 --> 00:35:51,800 Speaker 1: at home, should you so choose. It literally never occurred 543 00:35:51,800 --> 00:35:56,080 Speaker 1: to me to do this in my entire life. This 544 00:35:56,160 --> 00:36:01,400 Speaker 1: is this is through several episodes of of cheese Mania 545 00:36:01,520 --> 00:36:04,839 Speaker 1: here at work, so I'm quite impressed. Um but yeah. 546 00:36:04,840 --> 00:36:08,520 Speaker 1: There are plenty of recipes for making process cheese on 547 00:36:09,440 --> 00:36:11,239 Speaker 1: on the interwebs. Um the one that I found from 548 00:36:11,280 --> 00:36:15,640 Speaker 1: Epicurious seems the most simple. It uses gelatine to create 549 00:36:15,760 --> 00:36:19,680 Speaker 1: this this creamy emulsion kind of situation. It's just milk, gelatine, 550 00:36:19,719 --> 00:36:21,280 Speaker 1: a little bit of butter, a little bit of salt, 551 00:36:21,560 --> 00:36:26,279 Speaker 1: and whatever mild semihard cheese you like. Colby is recommended 552 00:36:26,360 --> 00:36:29,960 Speaker 1: for the true nostalgia flavor. Yeah, you just you just 553 00:36:29,960 --> 00:36:33,839 Speaker 1: blend them in a food processor and chill and you've 554 00:36:33,880 --> 00:36:37,759 Speaker 1: got homemade American cheese. Wow. Apparently it will make the 555 00:36:37,880 --> 00:36:40,640 Speaker 1: best grilled cheese sandwich you have ever made in your life. Okay, 556 00:36:40,640 --> 00:36:42,879 Speaker 1: I'm on board with that. Yeah, I'm very on board 557 00:36:42,920 --> 00:36:46,439 Speaker 1: with that absolutely, So yeah, we'll have to try it out. Yeah, 558 00:36:46,480 --> 00:36:49,279 Speaker 1: I think I have I have all of this. We 559 00:36:49,320 --> 00:36:52,840 Speaker 1: could do this now. I mean you don't have it 560 00:36:52,840 --> 00:36:56,480 Speaker 1: in the studio. I just care just in case I 561 00:36:56,480 --> 00:36:59,480 Speaker 1: need to make cheese at any moment. That is not 562 00:37:00,080 --> 00:37:02,799 Speaker 1: too ridiculous of a thought. It's I wouldn't put it 563 00:37:02,800 --> 00:37:08,000 Speaker 1: past you to like cheez quite a bit. Yeah, So 564 00:37:08,040 --> 00:37:11,240 Speaker 1: if any of you listeners decide to make this, please 565 00:37:11,440 --> 00:37:17,919 Speaker 1: let us know how it turns out. Yeah. Absolutely, And 566 00:37:18,000 --> 00:37:20,040 Speaker 1: that brings us to the end of this classic episode. 567 00:37:20,080 --> 00:37:24,680 Speaker 1: We hope that you enjoyed it as much as we did. Um. 568 00:37:24,719 --> 00:37:29,359 Speaker 1: If you have any food based horror recommendations, you know 569 00:37:30,320 --> 00:37:33,960 Speaker 1: where to find us. You can email us at hello 570 00:37:34,040 --> 00:37:37,280 Speaker 1: at savor pod dot com. We are also on social media. 571 00:37:37,440 --> 00:37:41,200 Speaker 1: You can find us on Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook at 572 00:37:41,239 --> 00:37:43,120 Speaker 1: saver pod, and we do hope to hear from you. 573 00:37:43,640 --> 00:37:46,280 Speaker 1: Savor is production of I Heart Radio. For more podcasts 574 00:37:46,360 --> 00:37:48,680 Speaker 1: my heart Radio, you can visit the I Heart Radio app, 575 00:37:48,760 --> 00:37:51,840 Speaker 1: Apple Podcasts, or wherever you listen to your favorite shows. 576 00:37:52,200 --> 00:37:55,360 Speaker 1: Thanks as always to our superproducers Dylan Fagin and Andrew Howard. 577 00:37:55,600 --> 00:37:57,359 Speaker 1: Thanks to you for listening, and we hope that lots 578 00:37:57,360 --> 00:38:01,480 Speaker 1: more good things are coming your way.