Cheese spread is a soft spreadable

cheese Cheese is a dairy product produced in wide ranges of flavors, textures, and forms by coagulation of the milk protein casein. It comprises proteins and fat from milk, usually the milk of cows, buffalo, goats, or sheep. During productio ...

processed cheese Processed cheese (also known as process cheese, cheese food, prepared cheese, cheese product, or plastic cheese) is a food product made from cheese and unfermented dairy ingredients mixed with emulsifiers. Additional ingredients, such as vegeta ...

product. Various additional ingredients are sometimes used, such as multiple cheeses, fruits, vegetables and meats, and many types of cheese spreads exist. Pasteurized process cheese spread is a type of cheese spread prepared using

pasteurized Pasteurization American and British English spelling differences#-ise, -ize (-isation, -ization), or pasteurisation is a process of food preservation in which packaged and non-packaged foods (such as milk and fruit juices) are treated with mi ...

processed cheese and other ingredients.

Overview

Homemade pimento cheese spread with crackers (cropped)

Easy Cheese 5-21-09 IMG 4155 (3557182152)

Cheese spread is prepared using one or more

s or

and sometimes additional ingredients such as vegetables, fruits, meats and various spices and seasonings. Cheese spread is typically spread onto foods such as bread, toast, crackers and vegetables. Cheese spread can be packaged in many ways: *in plastic tubs *in small foil-wrapped triangles or squares grouped together in a cardboard container, such as Dairylea or The Laughing Cow *in a pressurized can in which the cheese product comes out in a string-like form, such as

Easy Cheese Easy Cheese is the trademark for a processed cheese spread product distributed by Mondelēz International. It is also referred to as "spray cheese", "cheese wizz", "cheese whiz" or simply "cheese in a can", and is similar to "squeeze cheese" (a se ...

*in a jar in semi-liquid form, such as

Cheez Whiz Cheez Whiz is a brand of processed cheese sauce or spread produced by Kraft Foods. It was developed by a team led by food scientist Edwin Traisman (1915–2007). It was first sold in 1952, and with some changes in formulation continues to be i ...

*as a solid in a butter-like bar, such as

Velveeta Velveeta is a brand name for a processed cheese product similar to American cheese. It was invented in 1918 by Emil Frey of the "Monroe Cheese Company" in Monroe, New York. In 1923, "The Velveeta Cheese Company" was incorporated as a separate c ...

Varieties

Many types of cheese spreads exist, such as

almogrote Almogrote is a soft paste made from hard cheese, peppers, olive oil, garlic, and other ingredients, which is typically eaten spread on toast. It is native to La Gomera in the Canary Islands. See also * List of spreads This is a list of spr ...

, Liptauer,

cervelle de canut Cervelle de canut is a cheese spread or dip that is a specialty of Lyon, France. The dish is a base of fromage blanc, seasoned with chopped herbs, shallots, salt, pepper, olive oil and vinegar. Its name literally means "silk worker's brain", af ...

and

tirokafteri Ktipiti or htipiti ( el, χτυπητή), also known as tirokafteri ( el, τυροκαυτερή) or kopanisti (not to be confused with the cheese of that name), is a cheese-based spread from Greece. The preparation of the dish varies, but the ...

, among others.

United States

In the United States, beer cheese spread is a traditional food of the U.S. state of

Kentucky Kentucky ( , ), officially the Commonwealth of Kentucky, is a state in the Southeastern region of the United States and one of the states of the Upper South. It borders Illinois, Indiana, and Ohio to the north; West Virginia and Virginia ...

. Pimento cheese is a food in the

cuisine of the Southern United States The cuisine of the Southern United States encompasses diverse food traditions of several regions, including Tidewater, Appalachian, Lowcountry, Cajun, Creole, and Floribbean cuisine. In recent history, elements of Southern cuisine have spread ...

that has been referred to as the "pâté of the south" and "Carolina caviar".

Port wine cheese Port wine cheese is an orange- and red-colored cheese or cheese spread that is heavily dosed with alcoholic port wine as it is made. It is typically used as a cheese spread on foods such as crackers. It can be rolled into a cylindrical shape or into ...

mass-produced Mass production, also known as flow production or continuous production, is the production of substantial amounts of standardized products in a constant flow, including and especially on assembly lines. Together with job production and ba ...

in the United States under several brands. Pub cheese is a soft cheese spread that is a traditional bar snack in the United States. Additional U.S. cheese spreads include

benedictine , image = Medalla San Benito.PNG , caption = Design on the obverse side of the Saint Benedict Medal , abbreviation = OSB , formation = , motto = (English: 'Pray and Work') , foun ...

, cold pack cheese and cup cheese.

Pasteurized process cheese spread

Pasteurized process cheese spread is a

product prepared using one or more cheeses, additional ingredients and sometimes

food additive Food additives are substances added to food to preserve Taste, flavor or enhance taste, appearance, or other sensory qualities. Some additives have been used for centuries as part of an effort to preserve food, for example vinegar (pickling), sal ...

s such as

emulsifier An emulsion is a mixture of two or more liquids that are normally immiscible (unmixable or unblendable) owing to liquid-liquid phase separation. Emulsions are part of a more general class of two-phase systems of matter called colloids. Althoug ...

s (e.g.

potassium phosphate Potassium phosphate is a generic term for the salts of potassium and phosphate ions including: * Monopotassium phosphate (KH2PO4) (Molar mass approx: 136 g/mol) * Dipotassium phosphate (K2HPO4) (Molar mass approx: 174 g/mol) * Tripotassium pho ...

and

tartrate A tartrate is a salt or ester of the organic compound tartaric acid, a dicarboxylic acid. The formula of the tartrate dianion is O−OC-CH(OH)-CH(OH)-COO− or C4H4O62−. The main forms of tartrates used commercially are pure crystalline ta ...

) and food stabilizers to limit product separation (e.g.

carrageenan Carrageenans or carrageenins ( ; ) are a family of natural linear sulfated polysaccharides that are extracted from red edible seaweeds. Carrageenans are widely used in the food industry, for their gelling, thickening, and stabilizing properties. T ...

and xanthan gum). Cream,

milkfat Butterfat or milkfat is the fatty portion of milk. Milk and cream are often sold according to the amount of butterfat they contain. Composition Butterfat is mainly composed of triglycerides. Each triglyceride contains three fatty acids. But ...

, sweeteners, water, salt, various seasonings and artificial color are sometimes used as ingredients. In the United States, the amount of cheese products used in pasteurized process cheese spread must be at least 51 percent, must contain at least 20 percent milkfat, and the moisture content must be between 44 percent to 60 percent, not exceeding 60 percent. Pasteurized process cheese spread is prepared by heating the ingredients and then pouring the mixture into various molds and containers to cool and become solid. After cooling occurs, the product is then packaged.

Gallery

File:Almogrote2.jpg,

Almogrote Almogrote is a soft paste made from hard cheese, peppers, olive oil, garlic, and other ingredients, which is typically eaten spread on toast. It is native to La Gomera in the Canary Islands. See also * List of spreads This is a list of spr ...

File:Beer cheese dip.jpg, A commercial beer cheese spread File:Benedictine (condiment).JPG,

Benedictine , image = Medalla San Benito.PNG , caption = Design on the obverse side of the Saint Benedict Medal , abbreviation = OSB , formation = , motto = (English: 'Pray and Work') , foun ...

used as a dip File:Dutch cheese spread.jpg, A Dutch commercial cheese spread on bread File:Handi-Snacks - open.jpg, Handi-Snacks is a snack food product consisting of crackers and a cheese spread File:Liptauer.jpg, Liptauer File:Quark liptauer cheese.jpg, Liptauer prepared with

quark cheese Quark or quarg is a type of fresh dairy product made from milk. The milk is soured, usually by adding lactic acid bacteria cultures, and strained once the desired curdling is achieved. It can be classified as fresh acid-set cheese. Tradition ...

File:Tirokafteri.jpg,

Tirokafteri Ktipiti or htipiti ( el, χτυπητή), also known as tirokafteri ( el, τυροκαυτερή) or kopanisti (not to be confused with the cheese of that name), is a cheese-based spread from Greece. The preparation of the dish varies, but the ...

is a cheese spread from Greece and surrounding Balkan countries

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Cheese Spread Spreads (food) Processed cheese Cheese dishes