Cheez-Its: Unraveling The Mystery Of The Cheese Inside

Cheez-Its are cheese crackers manufactured by Kellanova through its Sunshine Biscuits division. The original Cheez-It flavour is made with 100% real cheese, specifically cheese made with skim milk, and a touch of salt. The crackers are baked and have a square shape with rigid edges and a hole in the middle. Since the original Cheez-It was launched, there have been over 50 different varieties of Cheez-It flavours and products, including the Cheez-It Italian Four Cheese Snack Crackers, which are made with Romano, Parmesan, Mozzarella, and Asiago cheeses.

Cheez-Its are made with 100% real cheese

Cheez-Its are indeed made with 100% real cheese. The popular cheese crackers, manufactured by Kellanova, have been a firm favourite with snackers since their launch in 1921.

The original Cheez-It crackers were marketed as a "baked rarebit", a reference to a dish of melted cheese on toast, and this cheesy heritage has continued to the present day. The crackers are made with wheat flour, vegetable oil, cheese, skim milk, salt, and spices, with the cheese made from skim milk, whey protein, salt, cheese cultures, enzymes, and annatto extract colour.

The iconic square shape, rigid edges, and hole in the middle are instantly recognisable, and the bold, cheesy flavour has been a staple of lunchboxes and snack times for generations. The original flavour has been joined by over 50 different varieties, including Extra Toasty Cheddar Jack, Sharp White Cheddar, and even a limited-edition Sizzlin' Bacon variety.

The real cheese used in Cheez-Its is a key part of their enduring popularity, and the brand has continued to emphasise this aspect in its marketing and packaging. With their crunchy texture and salty, cheesy flavour, Cheez-Its have become a go-to snack for many, and their versatility means they can be enjoyed at home, on the go, or even as a party snack.

The original Cheez-Its were marketed as baked rarebit

The original Cheez-Its were marketed as "baked rarebit", a reference to a popular dish at the time: melted cheese over toast. Rarebit was a familiar meal to Americans in the 1920s, often made with cheddar and beer and served on toast. The Cheez-It cracker offered the same great taste, but baked into a snack with a much longer shelf life.

The Green & Green company, founded in Dayton, Ohio, in 1907, was the creator of the Cheez-It. The company produced a variety of baked snack foods, including graham crackers, gingersnaps, and hardtack during World War I. On March 31, 1921, the company introduced Cheez-It crackers, and marketed them as a "baked rarebit". The name "Cheez-It" didn't mean anything at the time, so the association with rarebit was a clever marketing strategy to give consumers a frame of reference for the new product.

The Cheez-It cracker offered a novel take on the rarebit dish, baking the flavours of melted cheese and toast into a convenient, durable, and tasty snack. This innovation proved to be a successful one, as Cheez-Its went on to become an iconic snack with impressive longevity. While the marketing and packaging of Cheez-Its have evolved over the years, the original design and flavour have remained largely unchanged since their debut in 1921.

The enduring popularity of Cheez-Its can be attributed to a combination of factors. Firstly, the crackers offered a novel and convenient way to enjoy the flavours of a classic dish. Secondly, their impressive shelf life made them an economical and reliable snack option, especially during challenging economic times such as the post-war recession and the Great Depression. Finally, the acquisition of the Green & Green Company by larger companies, such as the Loose-Wiles Biscuit Company (later known as the Sunshine Biscuit Company) in the early 1930s, helped expand the distribution and popularity of Cheez-Its across the country.

There are over 50 varieties of Cheez-Its

Cheez-Its are a brand of cheese crackers manufactured by Kellanova through its Sunshine Biscuits division. The crackers are made with wheat flour, vegetable oil, cheese, skim milk, salt, and spices. The original Cheez-It flavour was the only product available until the 1980s. Since then, there have been over 50 different varieties of Cheez-It flavours and products.

The different varieties of Cheez-Its include:

• Cheez-It Big, which is a larger cracker more suitable for garnishing or dipping.
• Duoz, which offers two flavours in one box. The flavours include Sharp Cheddar & Parmesan, Bacon & Cheddar, and Jalapeño & Cheddar Jack.
• Extra Toasty Cheddar Jack, which offers a stronger cheddar taste than the Originals.
• Grooves, which are similar to the original Cheez-Its but with a notched surface and no puncture wound in the centre. The flavours include Bold Cheddar, Sharp White Cheddar, Zesty Cheddar Ranch, and Scorchin' Hot Cheddar.
• Hot & Spicy, which comes without Tabasco sauce.
• Provolone, with real hickory smoke flavour added.
• Reduced Fat White Cheddar.
• Sizzlin' Bacon, which has limited availability.
• Snack Mix, which comes in Double Cheese and Sweet & Salty flavours.
• Snap'd, which has a thin-crust-pizza consistency. The flavours include Cheddar Sour Cream, Double Cheese, and Jalapeño Jack.

In addition to these, Cheez-Its have also introduced limited-edition and discontinued varieties, such as the Barbecue & Cheddar Snack Mix, Cheesy Sour Cream & Onion, and Hot & Spicy with Tabasco sauce.

Cheez-Its are manufactured by Kellanova

Cheez-Its are a brand of cheese crackers manufactured by Kellanova through its Sunshine Biscuits division. They are rectangular crackers, approximately 26 by 24 mm (1.0 by 0.94 in), and are often mistaken for squares. They are made with wheat flour, vegetable oil, cheese, skim milk, salt, and spices. The crackers are baked and have a rigid shape with a hole in the middle.

The history of Cheez-Its dates back to 1907 when Weston Green founded the Green & Green Company in Dayton, Ohio. The company initially produced a variety of baked snacks, including crackers and cookies. On March 31, 1921, Green introduced Cheez-Its, which were then marketed as "baked rarebit," a reference to a dish of melted cheese over toast. The first Cheez-It logo was submitted to the United States Patent and Trademark Office on May 23, 1921.

In the early 1930s, the Kansas City-based Sunshine Biscuits acquired the Green & Green Company and expanded the distribution and popularity of Cheez-Its across the country. Over the years, the brand changed hands a few times, with Keebler acquiring Sunshine Biscuits in 1996 and Kellogg's acquiring Keebler in 2001.

Cheez-Its are made with 100% real cheese, and the original flavour has a bold, cheesy taste. The crackers are light, crispy, and salty, making them a popular snack for various occasions, including movie nights, lunches, and afternoon cravings. They are also perfect for packing in lunchboxes and backpacks.

In addition to the original flavour, Cheez-Its now offer over 50 different varieties, including Extra Cheesy, Italian Four Cheese, and several Grooves and Duoz options. The brand continues to innovate and provide new flavour combinations to cater to diverse taste preferences.

Cheez-Its are made with wheat flour, vegetable oil, skim milk, and spices

Cheez-Its are more than just cheese—they're a delicious combination of wheat flour, vegetable oil, skim milk, and spices. The wheat flour provides the base for these crunchy snacks, while the vegetable oil ensures they bake up nice and crispy. But of course, the star of the show is the cheese, made with skim milk, that gives Cheez-Its their iconic flavour.

The original Cheez-It crackers were introduced in 1921 by the Green & Green Company, who marketed them as "baked rarebit", a nod to the dish of melted cheese over toast. Over the years, the recipe has remained fairly consistent, with the main ingredients being wheat flour, vegetable oil, and cheese made with skim milk. The spices used are typically salt, paprika, and yeast, although other varieties include additional spices like garlic powder, onion powder, and turmeric extract.

The full list of ingredients in the original Cheez-It crackers is as follows: enriched flour (wheat flour, niacin, reduced iron, vitamin B1 [thiamin mononitrate], vitamin B2 [riboflavin], folic acid), vegetable oil (high oleic soybean, soybean, palm, and/or canola oil with TBHQ for freshness), cheese made with skim milk (skim milk, whey protein, salt, cheese cultures, enzymes, annatto extract colour), and salt, paprika, and yeast.

Cheez-Its have come a long way since their early days, with over 50 different varieties now available, including Extra Cheesy, Italian Four Cheese, and Reduced Fat White Cheddar. But no matter the variety, the foundation of wheat flour, vegetable oil, skim milk, and spices remains, providing that classic Cheez-It taste.

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