Randy Chandler
Pimento cheese is a popular Southern dish, but its origins are in the North. The spread was first made in New York City in the late 1800s, when cream cheese and canned pimentos were combined to make a quick and appealing sandwich filling.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| First made | New York |
| First made by | A farmer named Charles Green |
| First made in | Chester, New York |
| First made in year | 1870s |
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What You'll Learn
Pimento cheese was first made in New York City
Cream cheese was first made after the Civil War in New York State, where farmers in a growing dairy industry needed new ways to market their products. By the mid-1880s, the vast majority of cream cheese was being produced in New York. New York was also a major import hub, making it quite easy to get access to those wonderful canned Spanish peppers. The accessibility of these ingredients is likely why we saw this recipe first appear here.
In 1908, a Good Housekeeping recipe brought the two ingredients together, with the addition of mustard and chives. The combination of cream cheese and pimento was such a hit it started to be mass-produced, primarily in the South. Soon, Georgia farmers were trying to grow red peppers domestically, roasting them, canning them, and sending out as many as 10 million cans of pimentos a year, spreading the gospel of pimento cheese around the country.
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It was a product of industrial food manufacturing
Cream cheese was first made after the Civil War in New York State, where farmers in a growing dairy industry needed new ways to market their products. According to one legend, a farmer named Charles Green invited a European cheesemaker to the town of Chester, New York, in the 1870s to teach him how to make Neufchatel cheese.
The two ingredients were finally brought together in 1908 in a Good Housekeeping recipe for cream cheese, mustard, chives, and minced pimentos. The combination of cream cheese and pimento was such a hit it started to be mass-produced, primarily in the South. Soon, Georgia farmers were trying to grow red peppers domestically, roasting them, canning them, and sending out as many as 10 million cans of pimentos a year, spreading the gospel of pimento cheese around the country.
After World War II, home cooks started making their own pimento cheese, swapping cream cheese for "hoop cheese" and then cheddar and using a good dollop of mayonnaise to bind it all together.
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Cream cheese was first made in New York State
Cream cheese was first made after the Civil War in New York State, where farmers in a growing dairy industry needed new ways to market their products. By the mid-1880s, the vast majority of cream cheese was being produced in New York. New York was also a major import hub, making it quite easy to get access to wonderful canned Spanish peppers. The accessibility of these ingredients is likely why we saw the pimento cheese recipe first appear here. Everyone had fairly easy access to packaged cream cheese, but the pimento peppers were expensive to import.
The original version of pimento cheese was quite different from the recipes we see today. It started as a way to combine two newly available products of industrial food manufacturing: cream cheese and canned pimentos. According to one legend, a farmer named Charles Green invited a European cheesemaker to the town of Chester, New York, in the 1870s to teach Green how to make Neufchatel cheese.
The two ingredients were finally brought together in 1908 in a Good Housekeeping recipe for cream cheese, mustard, chives, and minced pimentos. The combination of cream cheese and pimento was such a hit it started to be mass-produced, primarily in the South. Soon, Georgia farmers were trying to grow red peppers domestically, roasting them, canning them, and sending out as many as 10 million cans of pimentos a year, spreading the gospel of pimento cheese around the country.
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Canned pimentos were imported from Spain
Cream cheese was first made in New York State after the Civil War, as farmers in the growing dairy industry needed new ways to market their products. By the mid-1880s, the vast majority of cream cheese was being produced in New York. New York was also a major import hub, so it was easy to access the canned Spanish peppers. The accessibility of these ingredients is likely why the recipe first appeared in New York.
However, the pimento peppers were expensive to import. An industrious Georgian farmer saw an opportunity to start growing and distributing them in the US, bringing the dish to the South. Soon, Georgia farmers were trying to grow red peppers domestically, roasting them, canning them, and sending out as many as 10 million cans of pimentos a year.
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Pimento cheese was mass-produced in the South
Cream cheese was first mass-produced around 1873 near Philadelphia, but by the mid-1880s, the vast majority of cream cheese was being produced in New York. New York was also a major import hub, making it easy to access canned Spanish peppers. The accessibility of these ingredients is likely why the recipe first appeared in New York. However, the pimento peppers were expensive to import.
An industrious Georgian farmer saw an opportunity and started growing and distributing them in the US. This is said to be what brought the dish to the South, although it's unclear when this happened. In 1908, a Good Housekeeping recipe for cream cheese, mustard, chives, and minced pimentos brought the two ingredients together. The combination was so popular that it started to be mass-produced, primarily in the South. Soon, Georgia farmers were trying to grow red peppers domestically, roasting and canning them, and sending out as many as 10 million cans of pimentos a year.
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Frequently asked questions
Pimento cheese was first made in New York City.
Pimento cheese was first made in the late 1800s.
The original pimento cheese recipe was made with cream cheese and canned pimentos.
