Hells Kitchen USA

[Metz]

Just watched it and they were doing the taste test.. what does American cheese taste like?? Is it like anything in the UK?

[society]

Yuk yuk yuk ! Nothing in comparison to European cheezes.

[BBWCHATT]

Metz - here in the USA we make lots of different kinds or REAL cheese just like the UK and the rest of the world - but I think what you are asking about is cheese "food" - it looks like cheese - but tastes about as much like it as Cheese Whiz does - you can see it here:

http://kraftfoods.com/main.aspx?s=product&m=pr oduct/Product_display&Site=1&Product=210006046 4

[Royal Pollen]

our wonderful american cousins seem to take pleasure in abusing food.

cheese in the states seems to either come in a little plastic covered square for burgers or in an aerosol can. its not pretty

[Donquixote]

There are some good cheeses in the states, but the majority of them, unfortunately, tend to be quite bland and textureless. They have a long way to go to match European cheeses, but they are making a start!

[KenR]

Donquixote, glad you chipped in there. I didn't want to offend BBWCHATT but you fairly much summed up my experience of american cheeses when I sent some time there in the late 80's. You could get some OK cheeses at times, but they were really, REALLY hard to come by. In general a large selection yes, but all very samey and blandish. Used to get blocks of stuff that were almost like processed cheese and others that reminded me of the big slabs of orange cheddar style you used to find in the old greengrocers in the 60's... the ones that had been there too long and were lacking flavour and texture. On a positive note though I recall some Monterey Jacks being OK.

[stewey]

Well, yes, Royal Pollen.......everyone knows that the UK is the epicurean capital of the world.

[BBWCHATT]

World production and consumption
Worldwide, cheese is a major agricultural product. According to the Food and Agricultural Organization of the United Nations, over 18 million metric tons of cheese were produced worldwide in 2004. This is more than the yearly production of coffee beans, tea leaves, cocoa beans and tobacco combined. The largest producer of cheese is the United States, accounting for 30 percent of world production, followed by Germany and France.

Top Cheese Producers - 2004
(1,000 Metric Tons)[25]
United States 4,327
Germany 1,929
France 1,827
Italy 1,102
Netherlands 672
Poland 535
Brazil 470
Egypt 450
Australia 373
Argentina 370

The biggest exporter of cheese, by monetary value, is France; the second, Germany (although it is first by quantity). Among the top ten exporters, only Ireland, New Zealand, the Netherlands and Australia have a cheese production that is mainly export oriented: respectively 95 percent, 90 percent, 72 percent, and 65 percent of their cheese production is exported.[26] Only 30 percent of French production, the world's largest exporter, is exported. The United States, the biggest world producer of cheese, is a marginal exporter, as most of its production is for the domestic market.

[BBWCHATT]

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cheese

World production and consumption
Worldwide, cheese is a major agricultural product. According to the Food and Agricultural Organization of the United Nations, over 18 million metric tons of cheese were produced worldwide in 2004. This is more than the yearly production of coffee beans, tea leaves, cocoa beans and tobacco combined. The largest producer of cheese is the United States, accounting for 30 percent of world production, followed by Germany and France.

Top Cheese Producers - 2004
(1,000 Metric Tons)[25]
United States 4,327
Germany 1,929
France 1,827
Italy 1,102
Netherlands 672
Poland 535
Brazil 470
Egypt 450
Australia 373
Argentina 370

The biggest exporter of cheese, by monetary value, is France; the second, Germany (although it is first by quantity). Among the top ten exporters, only Ireland, New Zealand, the Netherlands and Australia have a cheese production that is mainly export oriented: respectively 95 percent, 90 percent, 72 percent, and 65 percent of their cheese production is exported.[26] Only 30 percent of French production, the world's largest exporter, is exported. The United States, the biggest world producer of cheese, is a marginal exporter, as most of its production is for the domestic market.

[BBWCHATT]

I don't have a CLUE how I did that - sorry!!!

[spudqueen]

BBWCHATT - America may be the biggest producer of cheese but it doesn't mean it's the best! I have had American cheese (most of it's made in Wisconsin I believe), and it is pretty bland compared to our English cheeses. I live in Lancashire and we have fantastic Lancashire cheese - in three varieties, tasty, mild or crumbly. And sorry, but what is Cheese Whiz???!!!

[filthiestfis]

French and Spanish cheese is miles better than any English cheese if you ask me. And no, you're not asking me, but Im telling you anyway.

[Donquixote]

No way! France and Spain have some fantastic cheeses, as does Italy...but MILES better than English???
We have a longer tradition of cheese making than both the french and spaniards, and the sheer variety of styles, textures and tastes easily rivals the french. We've become so accustomed to it now, but seriously, what hard cheese do the french or spaniards have that comes anywhere near the quality of a good mature cheddar? The French make fantastic soft cheeses, some good blues, and the Spanish don't get much better than manchego. Cornish Yarg, Cashel Blue, or Stinking Bishop (to name but a few) are up there with the best in the world.

[KenR]

All so peaceful at the start. We are now entering the our-cheese-is-better-than-your-cheese phase. Before we know it we'll have a full blown international cheddar war on our hands!

[hundreddolla]

Processed cheese slices.

[Metz]

Thanks for the replies :o) The cheese they were tasting was in chunks like you would chop a chunk of cheddar,so it wasn't cheese slices .

[hundreddolla]

You asked what it "tasted" like. It "tastes" like processed cheese slices. It may not be shaped in slices, but that is what it tastes like!