The Surprising History of American Cheese: From Monterey to Vermont and Everywhere in Between

When you hear American cheese today, you’re probably thinking of something very specific – highly processed, perhaps individually wrapped. But the history of cheese in the United States, which was called “American cheese” long before James L. Kraft, is a fascinating and complicated one. From the 18th century cheese course to pizza and mozzarella sticks, Americans have long had a different relationship to cheese than many nations. Cheeses invented in the United States include Monterey Jack, Colby, Brick cheese, Velveeta, and Philadelphia cream cheese, as well as American takes European cheeses like Swiss, Vermont and New York style cheddars, mozzarella (especially string cheese), Liederkranz, Maytag Blue, and Neufchatel. But Americans didn’t always eat cheese like we do today. What changed? In this illustrated presentation, food historian Sarah Wassberg Johnson examines the history of these American cheeses, the dairy industry, and what events and cultural forces changed how Americans ate cheese.