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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 ...
or
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
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Cheese spread is prepared using one or more
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 ...
s or
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 ...
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
The Laughing Cow (french: La vache qui rit) is a brand of processed cheese products made by Fromageries Bel since 1921, and in particular refers to the brand's most popular product, the spreadable wedge.
Description
The cheese is a blend of cr ...
*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 in ...
*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, Monroe, New York (state), New York. In 1923, "The Velveeta Cheese Compan ...
.
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 ...
,
Liptauer
Liptauer is a spicy cheese spread from Slovakian, Austrian and Hungarian cuisine. Liptauer is made with sheep milk cheese, goat cheese, quark, or cottage cheese.
Etymology
The name is derived from the German name ''Liptau'' for the region of ...
,
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", a ...
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
Pimento (or pimiento) cheese is a spread most popularly made of cheese, mayonnaise and pimientos and served on crackers and vegetables or in sandwiches. A favorite of the cuisine of the Southern United States, it also is enjoyed elsewhere, with ...
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 int ...
is
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
Pub cheese is a type of soft cheese spread and dip prepared using cheese as a primary ingredient and usually with some type of beer or ale added. It can be made with smoked cheeses or liquid smoke added to impart a smoky flavor. It is typically ...
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
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
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 prepared using one or more cheeses, additional ingredients and sometimes
food additives such as
emulsifiers (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
Xanthan gum () is a polysaccharide with many industrial uses, including as a common food additive. It is an effective thickening agent, emulsifier, and stabilizer that prevents ingredients from separating. It can be produced from simple sugars ...
).
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 ...
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
Cheese and crackers, also known as cheese and biscuits in the UK, is a dish consisting of crackers paired with cheese. Historically the fare of sailors, soldiers, and pioneers, it had become a regular menu item in American restaurants and bars ...
is a snack food product consisting of crackers and a cheese spread
File:Liptauer.jpg, Liptauer
Liptauer is a spicy cheese spread from Slovakian, Austrian and Hungarian cuisine. Liptauer is made with sheep milk cheese, goat cheese, quark, or cottage cheese.
Etymology
The name is derived from the German name ''Liptau'' for the region of ...
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. Tradit ...
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
See also
*
Cream cheese
Cream cheese is a soft, usually mild-tasting fresh cheese made from milk and cream.Oxford English Dictionary Stabilizers such as carob bean gum and carrageenan are often added in industrial production.
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration de ...
*
List of cheese dishes
This is a list of notable cheese dishes in which cheese is used as a primary ingredient or as a significant component of a dish or a food. Cheese is a food derived from milk that is produced in a wide range of flavors, textures, and forms by coa ...
*
List of spreads
This is a list of spreads. A spread is a food that is literally spread, generally with a knife, onto food items such as bread or crackers. Spreads are added to food to enhance the flavor or texture of the food, which may be considered bland with ...
*
Neufchâtel cheese
Neufchâtel (, ; Norman: ''Neu(f)câtel'') is a soft, slightly crumbly, mold-ripened, bloomy-rind cheese made in the Neufchâtel-en-Bray region of Normandy. One of the oldest kinds of cheese in France, its production is believed to date back a ...
*
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, Monroe, New York (state), New York. In 1923, "The Velveeta Cheese Compan ...
– a brand name processed cheese product
References
{{DEFAULTSORT:Cheese Spread
Spreads (food)
Processed cheese
Cheese dishes