Orange processed slices that melt without breaking — the burger’s default, and engineered for exactly that. James L. Kraft patented a pasteurised processed cheese in 1916; the US Army bought it in bulk during the First World War and made it a staple.
It is a manufactured product built on emulsifying salts and industrial sheeting equipment — the smooth melt is a chemical result, not a cheesemaking one, and the formulations are the manufacturers’.
What goes into it
- young cheddar and colby
- emulsifying salts — sodium citrate or phosphate
- milk solids
- annatto
- water
How it is made
Young cheese is ground, heated with emulsifying salts and water, and blended into a homogeneous mass. The salts pull the calcium out of the protein network so the fat cannot separate when the cheese is heated — which is precisely why it melts into a smooth sauce rather than splitting into grease and curd. It is then sheeted, cut and wrapped.
How long it takes: made and packaged in a factory; sold with a long shelf life
How it is eaten
Melted on a burger, in a grilled cheese, or in a diner omelette.
History
James L. Kraft patented a pasteurised processed cheese in 1916; the US Army bought it in bulk during the First World War and made it a staple.
Frequently asked questions
What is American cheese?
American cheese is a cheese & dairy from United States: orange processed slices that melt without breaking, the burger’s default. James L. Kraft patented a pasteurised processed cheese in 1916; the US Army bought it in bulk during the First World War and made it a staple.
How is American cheese made?
Young cheese is ground, heated with emulsifying salts and water, and blended into a homogeneous mass. The salts pull the calcium out of the protein network so the fat cannot separate when the cheese is heated — which is precisely why it melts into a smooth sauce rather than splitting into grease and curd. It is then sheeted, cut and wrapped. It takes made and packaged in a factory; sold with a long shelf life.
Can I make American cheese at home?
No, and the atlas gives no method for it. It is a manufactured product built on emulsifying salts and industrial sheeting equipment — the smooth melt is a chemical result, not a cheesemaking one, and the formulations are the manufacturers’.
What goes into American cheese?
Young cheddar and colby, emulsifying salts — sodium citrate or phosphate, milk solids, annatto, water.
How is American cheese eaten?
Melted on a burger, in a grilled cheese, or in a diner omelette.
