I replied with this lower down then figured it might as well be a top level comment.
Here is a great YouTube video that explains not only this cheese cave, but the reason it even exists and then where we get the phrase “government cheese” from and the whole government program of propping up the dairy industry.
I thought, “1.4 billion pounds of cheese can’t be a real number, right?” Turns out, it kinda is. 1.4 billion pounds (actually generally 1.45-1.5 billion) is the amount of cheese the USDA stores in cold storage warehouses across the US. And indeed, much of that seems to be in caves in Missouri. But any particular cave probably only stores a few million pounds, although getting specific numbers is rather difficult.
St. Louis, Columbia, Kansas City, and Springfield are civilized. The rest of the state, you’re not entirely wrong. Debts paid off, we’re just saving up to sell the house and expatriate as soon as feasible.
Is American cheese any good? TV shows seem to imply it isn’t but it seems weird you wouldn’t have good cheese by now
Edit: I meant cheese made/available in the US, rather than the type called “American cheese”. But thanks for the answers
American cheese is good at being salty and creamy. It sucks in taste. Good on certain foods needing that. Burgers have been said, but I know crazies that melt a slice on a honeybun.
American cheese is just a different way to process a more shelf stable cheese. Unfortunately it loses some flavor.
If you’re talking about the cheese called “American cheese”, then it’s somewhat polarizing in preferences. But just like all cheeses, it’s made for a very specific purpose: in this case, being amazing at melting. As a result, it’s best on cheeseburgers, grilled cheese, mac and cheese, etc. But it also has a distinct, mild flavor that some don’t like.
It also stabilizes cheese sauces made with other cheeses amazingly. If you cannot get a hold of pure sodium citrate, throw a single slice of American Singles into the pot. That will melt, mix in and not change the flavor at all. What it does do is make your cheese sauce stable enough you can refrigerate it, and the oil won’t break out of the sauce.
I was a chef for 15 years, and a short order cook for 10
We have normal cheese here too. American cheese is a specific kind of cheese, the same way Swiss cheese is. If you ask me, American cheese is nasty, but we do have good cheese in America
this is madness and I would argue it’s the cheeses that you buy rather than “cheese as a whole”, have you ever tried any imported cheeses? the cheaper options in a US supermarket are usually Wisconsin-made imitations that are great at being a lot cheaper than the real deal but flavor wise are just watered down imitations. I can’t imagine not being able to taste the nutty umami of a Parmigiano Reggiano, the bright briny-ness of a Greek Feta, what about Smoked Gouda?? tastes more like BBQ than American cheese lol
I mean you’re probably right. I don’t know anything about cheese really so not sure if I’ve had proper imported cheese or not. But yeah, I can’t relate to your flavor descriptions lol the closest is when I can taste the jalapenos they add to some cheeses (for example). This is probably why I am not particularly fond of cheese though lol
There’s a lot of incredible American- made cheeses, usually from more local cheese makers. Wisconsin and Vermont are the most fampus for their cheeses, but every state probably has good cheesemakers and there are some pretty good national brands. But the main cheese section at your typical grocery store is mostly just mass-produced cheap cheese that is probably more what you’re referring too, which is fine for most uses (e.g. cooking) but eaten alone i would describe as perfectly fine but not great. A lot of grocery stores have a nicer cheese section, but it’s usually in a section of the store more with other small bites.
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