All About Cheese
Cheese is surely one of the favorite kinds of food people enjoy, and that’s especially the case for Americans. Back in the 1970s, the popularity of mozzarella skyrocketed — the reason why was the rise of fast-food restaurants, take-outs, and deliveries. More precisely, the food to blame for this rise in popularity was pizza!
Pizza is well-loved in all corners of the world. Even though it used to be strictly Italian, it found its way to America quickly and gained popularity thanks to large fast-food chains that perfected delivering fresh pizza to customers quickly and without a fuss. Nowadays, anyone will tell you that the main ingredient without which pizza isn’t pizza is cheese.
After its popularity developed, people found other types of cheeses. Speaking of types, one of the lesser-known facts about this dairy product is that there are around 2.000 different kinds of it! How is that even possible? Well, all cheese varieties are made from milk, but it’s the bacteria, aging processes, and moisture that’s different.
Americans love this food so much that they came up with their own American cheese. But why is that the case? Let’s find out.
Cheese Makes Any Food Tastier
A lot of times, when we eat something, we can’t help but think that something is missing. Often, that could be a bit of salt or some other spice. But what about cheese? Americans have started putting cheese on just about anything, and there’s a good reason for it. Just think about it — what’s a burger, mac ’n’ cheese, or pizza without cheese? While these foods are tasty on their own, it’s no secret that this dairy product alters and enhances their flavor.
So, what’s the secret? Since this is a product of milk, one of the main proteins found in it is casein. Once digested, casein turns into casomorphin, which is an opioid peptide. What does that mean? Well, it simply means that cheese is addicting! We can’t say for sure if it makes food tastier or if our brain tricks us into putting it into everything, but this dairy product definitely has something going for it.
Cheese Goes With Any Food
Since there are many different kinds of cheeses, they come with their own distinct flavor profiles. Some are sweeter, while others have nutty flavors. It all depends on the ingredients and the aging process. Luckily, it’s not often that cheeses have strong or overpowering flavors. That means, while you can eat them on their own, they’re a great fit for all kinds of foods.
We bet you’ve seen people eat this dairy product with fruit, crackers, nuts, meats, pasta, etc. That’s because some flavor profiles fit together perfectly. With this in mind, it’s no wonder why Americans put cheese onto everything. It’s not only that our brains are telling us this food is addicting, but also that the variety of flavors is a good fit with any kind of food. However, we’d probably advise against this kind of dairy and sweets since that doesn’t sound like a good match.
Cheese Is Easier to Preserve
One of many facts about cheese is that it’s really easy to preserve. A lot of the time, we may buy food in bulk to last us a while. That food can also, unfortunately, go to waste because it can’t last forever. So, what happens to cheese if you don’t eat it within a few days? The answer is, simply, nothing.
Cheese contains bacteria that age it. This usually means that the longer it’s left to age, the better it will be. Of course, cheese can also go bad, but the preservation process makes Americans keener to eat it.
There are proper ways to store and preserve dairy products, be it in parchment paper or any otherwise tightly sealed container. But you also don’t have to follow the rules and can simply wrap it in tin foil and chuck it in the fridge. Sure, this won’t guarantee that your favorite dairy product will last as long as it would if you stored it properly, but it’s the ease of storage that makes people reach for it so often.
Cheese Is Cheap in America
The price of cheese in the U.S. depends on supply and demand. Of course, farms and other producers have a lot of competition, so they have to give competitive prices. Nowadays, you can find all kinds of cheeses in stores, not just whole wheels but shredded and singles too. These convenient ways to package this dairy product make more people reach for them, but which brand will they choose? The one with the lowest price.
However, the main reason why cheese is so cheap in America is its popularity. There’s no price these cheese connoisseurs won’t pay for a quality wheel or two. Some argue that this only further fuels the obsession with this dairy product and increases its popularity. Whatever it may be, if you enjoy any kind of dairy products, America is the country for you.
Cheese Is Promoted by American Government
This can be a controversial and complicated topic for some, so let’s break it down. First, let’s talk about the marketing of cheese and fast-food restaurants. Is it just us, or does it seem like fast-food restaurants are continuously adding more cheese into their foods? Double and triple cheeseburgers aren’t unheard of. In fact, they’re almost a staple in many fast-food restaurants. Plus, the way these restaurants market their extra cheesy foods only leads us to believe that the government supports them.
Actually, this dairy product is so popular that America is drowning in it. That’s right, America has so much cheese that’s just sitting in cold storage. It’s going to go to waste, or the government has to find a way to spend it all. Accordingly, the price of this dairy product is dropping, so more people buy it, and many companies consider it a cheap filler and are adding it to their foods.
The controversial part of it is that we have to thank the Dairy Management for the marketing and the promotion of cheese. Some believe that Dairy Management is working with the U.S. Department of Agriculture on trying to promote a healthy lifestyle, with cheese as a normal part of it. That’s essentially how the American government is pushing cheese to the masses.