Bushra Griffith
American cheese and cheddar cheese are two of the most popular varieties of cheese. While they have some similarities, they also have distinct differences in flavour, texture, and culinary uses. Both are made from cow's milk and aged for several months to develop their flavour and texture. They also share a crumbly texture when grilled or baked and a yellowish-orange colour when melted. However, American cheese is a processed cheese with a milder, creamier texture, while cheddar is a natural cheese with a sharper, more complex flavour and firmer texture.
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What You'll Learn
- Texture: American cheese is creamy and smooth, while Cheddar is firm and crumbly
- Taste: American cheese is mild and mellow, while Cheddar is sharp and tangy
- Melting: American cheese melts easily, while Cheddar doesn't melt as readily
- Ingredients: American cheese is a blend of cheeses, while Cheddar is a natural, single cheese
- Origin: American cheese was created in the US or Switzerland, while Cheddar originated in England
Texture: American cheese is creamy and smooth, while Cheddar is firm and crumbly
When it comes to texture, American cheese and Cheddar cheese offer very different sensory experiences. American cheese is known for its creamy and smooth texture, achieved through the addition of emulsifiers. This gives it a velvety mouthfeel that makes it a popular choice for melting on burgers, grilled cheese sandwiches, and macaroni. Its high meltability is due to the blend of real cheese with texture-altering ingredients such as whey, milk proteins, and emulsifying salts. This blend of ingredients also prevents the cheese from breaking or turning greasy when melted.
In contrast, Cheddar cheese is a firm and crumbly cheese. Its texture depends on its age, with younger Cheddars having a smooth and slightly elastic texture that becomes more crumbly as it matures. The aging process is crucial to the texture of Cheddar, as it allows enzymes to break down proteins and fats, resulting in the characteristic crumbly texture of aged varieties. The longer Cheddar is aged, the sharper and more complex its flavour becomes.
The difference in texture between the two cheeses can be attributed to their production methods. American cheese is a processed cheese, made by blending cheddar, Colby, or similar cheeses with ingredients like sodium citrate, milk, whey, and emulsifiers. This blend gives it its signature smooth and creamy texture. Cheddar cheese, on the other hand, is typically made from cow's milk, although it can also be made from goat's milk or sheep's milk. The traditional process of making Cheddar involves several steps, including heating the milk, adding rennet to thicken it, cutting the curds into small pieces, and then cooking them further to remove whey. The curds are then salted, pressed into moulds, and aged for varying periods, all of which contribute to the firm and crumbly texture of Cheddar.
While American cheese is known for its smooth and creamy texture, Cheddar offers a firmer and more crumbly sensory experience. These textural differences make each cheese unique and contribute to their distinct roles in various dishes.
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Taste: American cheese is mild and mellow, while Cheddar is sharp and tangy
American cheese is a processed cheese, made from a blend of other cheeses, including cheddar, Colby, and similar varieties. It has a mild, creamy, and mellow flavour, with a smooth and soft texture. It is also known for its meltability and is a common choice for grilled cheese sandwiches, burgers, and breakfast foods.
Cheddar cheese, on the other hand, is a hard, sharp-tasting cheese with a tangy and sour flavour profile. It is crumbly and has a firmer texture compared to American cheese. Cheddar is often matured and aged for several months to develop its flavour and texture, resulting in a more intense taste. The longer the ageing process, the sharper the flavour becomes. This sharp tang is accompanied by the right amount of flavour and salt, making it a punchy and flavourful addition to any dish.
The sharp taste of cheddar can be attributed to the ageing process, which also affects its texture. As cheddar ages, it becomes harder and more crumbly. The sharpness of the flavour is analogous to a slightly acidic or sour taste, comparable to lemon or sour candies, but milder. This tang is what gives cheddar its distinctive character, setting it apart from the milder American cheese.
While American cheese is versatile and easily melts, making it ideal for grilled cheese sandwiches and burgers, cheddar brings a stronger flavour to dishes like macaroni and cheese, omelettes, sandwiches, and pizzas. The tanginess of cheddar pairs well with other ingredients, enhancing the overall taste of the dish.
In summary, when it comes to taste, American cheese offers a mild and mellow experience, while cheddar delivers a sharp and tangy sensation. Both cheeses have their unique characteristics, and the choice between the two ultimately depends on personal preference and the desired flavour profile for a particular dish.
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Melting: American cheese melts easily, while Cheddar doesn't melt as readily
American cheese and cheddar cheese are two of America's most popular cheeses. While both are made from cow's milk, they have distinct differences in flavour, texture, and culinary uses.
American cheese is a processed cheese made from a blend of cheeses, including cheddar and Colby, and other ingredients like milk, whey, whey proteins, food colouring, flavourings, emulsifiers, and salt. It has a creamy, smooth texture and a mild, mellow flavour. It is also less expensive than cheddar.
Cheddar cheese, on the other hand, is a natural, hard cheese with a sharper, more complex flavour and a firmer texture. It is produced in a variety of ages, with younger cheddars melting better than aged ones.
The melting properties of these two cheeses differ significantly. American cheese melts very easily and evenly, making it a popular choice for grilled cheese sandwiches, burgers, and macaroni and cheese. Its meltability can be attributed to the addition of emulsifiers and the blending process, which includes extra milk, milk protein micelles, and chemical salts. These ingredients help hold the ingredients together, preventing clumping or stringiness.
Cheddar cheese, while delicious in its own right, does not melt as readily as American cheese. Younger cheddars will melt better than aged ones, but even with high moisture content, aged cheddars may struggle to melt smoothly due to the formation of tighter protein clumps.
In conclusion, American cheese and cheddar cheese offer unique benefits and uses in the kitchen. While American cheese excels in its melting abilities, cheddar provides a sharper flavour and firmer texture that can bring an extra punch of flavour to various dishes.
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Ingredients: American cheese is a blend of cheeses, while Cheddar is a natural, single cheese
American cheese and Cheddar cheese have distinct differences in their ingredients, with American cheese being a blend of cheeses and Cheddar being a natural, single cheese.
American cheese is a processed cheese product, often made from a combination of cheddar, Colby, or similar cheeses, along with other additives. The process of making American cheese involves grinding traditional cheese, combining it with emulsifying agents, and other ingredients such as sodium citrate, milk, whey, milk and whey proteins, food colouring, flavourings, and salt. This mixture is then heated, melted, and poured into moulds to solidify. The addition of emulsifiers gives American cheese its characteristic creamy texture. It is also known for its mild, mellow flavour and low melting point, making it a popular choice for sandwiches, grilled cheese, and as a topping for hamburgers.
In contrast, Cheddar cheese is a natural, single cheese that is not processed or blended with other types of cheeses. It is made from cow's milk and has a sharper, more pungent flavour compared to American cheese. Cheddar is typically firm or slightly crumbly in texture, with an off-white to deep yellow colour. The sharpness of Cheddar is associated with the levels of bitter peptides in the cheese, which develop during the ageing process. Cheddar is matured at a constant temperature, often in caves, for 3 to 18 months, contributing to its distinct flavour and texture.
The difference in ingredients and processing methods between American cheese and Cheddar cheese results in variations in their texture, flavour, and melting properties. American cheese, with its blend of cheeses and additives, has a smoother, creamier texture and a milder taste. On the other hand, Cheddar, as a natural, single cheese, boasts a sharper flavour and a firmer texture that doesn't melt as easily as American cheese.
While American cheese offers convenience and versatility, especially in melted applications, Cheddar cheese is valued for its more robust flavour and crumbly texture, making each variety suitable for different culinary applications according to personal preference.
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Origin: American cheese was created in the US or Switzerland, while Cheddar originated in England
The origin stories of American cheese and Cheddar cheese differ significantly. American cheese was created in the US or Switzerland, while Cheddar cheese originated in the village of Cheddar in Somerset, England.
American Cheese
The term "American cheese" is used to refer to a type of processed cheese made from a blend of other cheeses, such as cheddar and Colby, along with other ingredients like milk, whey, whey proteins, food colouring, flavourings, emulsifiers, and salt. This blend is then heated and poured into moulds to solidify. While the term "American cheese" is now associated with this processed variety, it was not always the case. In the late 18th century, British colonists in America began making their own cheddar cheese, which they exported back to England. This cheese became known as "Yankee" or "American" cheese to distinguish it from the locally produced cheddars in England. The processed American cheese that we know today was invented in the early 1910s by James L. Kraft, who obtained a patent for his manufacturing process in 1916. Kraft began marketing his product in the late 1910s, and it rapidly replaced the traditional but more expensive cheddars made and sold in the US.
Cheddar Cheese
Cheddar cheese, on the other hand, has a much longer history, dating back to at least the 12th century. It is believed to have originated in the village of Cheddar in Somerset, England. The unique humidity and steady temperature of the caves in Cheddar Gorge provided the ideal environment for maturing the cheese. Cheddar cheese gets its name from this village, and the process of making it has been refined over centuries. The standardisation and modernisation of cheddar cheese production are largely attributed to Somerset dairyman Joseph Harding in the 19th century. Harding introduced new equipment and techniques, including his "revolving breaker" for curd cutting, which improved the efficiency of the cheese-making process.
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Frequently asked questions
American cheese is a processed cheese product made from a blend of cheeses, including cheddar, Colby, and other cheeses, along with added ingredients like milk, whey, whey proteins, food coloring, flavorings, and emulsifiers. It has a mild, creamy texture and a mellow flavor. Cheddar cheese, on the other hand, is a natural, aged cheese made from cow's milk. It has a sharper, more complex flavor and a firmer, crumbly texture.
Both American and Cheddar cheese are made from cow's milk and aged for several months to develop their flavor and texture. They share a similar yellowish-orange color when melted and a crumbly texture when grilled or baked. They are also good sources of protein, calcium, B vitamins, and other essential minerals.
American cheese is very popular in grilled cheese sandwiches, burgers, cheese dips, and other melted applications due to its superior meltability and creamy texture. Cheddar cheese, with its robust flavor, is often served independently or used in dishes like macaroni and cheese, omelets, sandwiches, pizzas, and salads.
