this post was submitted on 03 Jul 2026
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American cheese is just cheddar cheese + sodium citrate. You can make it yourself with cheddar cheese, lemon juice, and baking soda. The sodium citrate acts as an emulsifier, which prevents the cheese from separating when it melts. You can make some really high-quality American cheese, but since this is America, we have agro-businesses creating the cheapest, filler-filled shit possible
Yeah, I get that it's funny to rag on all things American and all, but American cheese is still cheese, in the same sense that a sausage is still meat. It's been processed, yes, but aside from some additives the stuff that comes out is the same stuff that went in.
Ummmm.... no? I can go to a store and buy a sausage that has 3 ingredients: meat, pepper and natural intestine it's packed in. I can also go to a store and buy a sausage that has mean, water, salt, sugar, stabilizer, antioxidant and preservative. Are both still just meat? The additives and the processing are the problem. The more of it in food the less healthy it gets.
Nobody's talking about health, we're discussing if it is or isn't what it claims to be. And yes, your second sausage is still meat. Meat with a ton of additives, yes, but still meat. And likewise, you can have high-quality American cheese that is mostly cheddar with a pinch of sodium citrate, or you can have shitty American cheese that's almost half additives. I know there are shitty products out there, that is, again, not what the conversation is about. The point is just because it's American cheese doesn't mean it's not cheese.
Best part is when those people think we don't have access to any other cheese, the ignorance is something else
By the American government's own definition most of it legally cannot be called cheese. Instead its "IMITATION PASTEURIZED PROCESS CHEESE FOOD" or something similar.
Even the stuff that can be labeled cheese only has to be 51% cheese, and 49% can be something else.
Then it's not American cheese, is it? It's imitation cheese food. The package in that photo doesn't even claim so, it just calls itself "singles." I'm aware there's a race to the bottom to make the cheapest shittiest substitute for just about anything in the US, but that's not the discussion.
The discussion is something being American cheese doesn't automatically mean it's not cheese. Going back to my own analogy, you could argue the same about sausage if you held up a picture of sausage-style meat type food.
If anybody wants to watch someone make it: https://youtu.be/0aGNAxN5Z-o
IIRC, “American” is a technical term of art referring to this process, so theoretically one could have American French cheese and so on.
I've made american cheese out of parmigiano reggiano. Technically, it's not just cheese and sodium citrate; you also need extra water depending on how dry the cheese is. It's a good way to add flavor because you can use stock, or beer, or mountain dew, or whatever.
I see
Hm. Interesting
*rebel-base alarms go off, personnel evacuating*
That's my secret for cheese sauces that don't break. I make the sauce and throw in the tiniest bit of sodium citrate. I'm talking 1/4 tsp per quart of sauce. If you can't find the pure stuff, a single slice of American cheese produces the same effect.
I've made cheese sauce out of cheese that shouldn't be used for cheese sauce, like romano, and feta, to make absolutely divine sauces that don't break even when refrigerated.
My grocery store just sells sodium citrate, is that not normal? Love the stuff!
It depends on the area. I've never had issues finding it in larger cities, but some of the small towns I've lived in and visited didn't seem to carry anything but the basics.
According to wikipedia:
At least it's mostly cheese. Probably. Good old 'Murica never fails to underwhelm.
The stuff you get at a restaurant is frequently 100% actual cheese + emulsifier. Even Dairy Queen. The stuff in a grocery store is hit or miss, though. Kraft Singles for example cannot even legally call themselves American Cheese. They are a "Pasteurized Prepared Cheese Product". Always check the small print on the label for "American Cheese" that's on its own.