- Written By: Malcolm Tatum
- Edited By: Bronwyn Harris
- Last Modified Date: 01 April 2012
-
Copyright Protected:
2003-2012 Conjecture Corporation
Sometimes referred to as analog cheese, imitation cheese is one of the many varieties of processed cheese that is found on the market today. Characterized by a long shelf life and a relatively inexpensive cost, imitation cheese is used in many homes around the world. It is primarily made of vegetable oil.
Imitation cheese is often thought to be the same as substitute cheese, but actually, there is a difference between the two. Substitute cheese is usually still made with a low content of milk solids. Imitation cheese, by contrast, relies on a combination of vegetable oil and casein, a protein found in milk, that is used instead of milk solids. While the taste of the two types of cheese products is very similar, there is often a slight difference in texture, with imitation cheese being slightly less supple.
Imitation cheese tends to lack the same level of nutrition that is found with real cheese or even with substitute cheese. The main advantages of imitation cheese have to do with the price and the shelf life. The low cost of the ingredients for imitation cheese help to make the finished product very affordable. Also, the lack of dairy products other than casein in the cheese also helps the product to last a very long time.
While the nutritional value of imitation cheese may be low, the flavor is often very acceptable, especially when used as part of a recipe. For instance a cheese sauce made with imitation cheese works very well over broccoli or other steamed vegetables. A slice of imitation cheese also works very well on a grilled hamburger patty. Pasta dishes can benefit from a creamy cheese sauce made using imitation cheese as well.
Imitation cheese can be purchased in just about any supermarket. Typically, the imitation cheese will be offered as slices that are appropriate for use on sandwiches or burgers. In some instances, bags of grated imitation cheese are also available, making the cheese ready for use in salads, tacos, or as a cheesy topping to a casserole. Quick and easy to store, imitation cheese helps to fill a niche in the food market. When the budget is a little tight and there is still a desire to have the look and taste of cheese as part of the meal, imitation cheese may be the ideal solution.
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anon258418
Post 10 |
I bought some imitation shredded mozzarella, not realizing it wasn't real mozzarella cheese. I took one bite of it and spit it right back out. It is nasty! |
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anon252187
Post 9 |
I ate imitation cheese before, when my grandma used to buy it. It's gross and you can actually taste it's fake. |
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anon152148
Post 8 |
Monterrey Jack tastes just awful. It's like a squidgy sticky fart of a slug of a plastic cheese. An unfinished product produced too quickly. Still maybe, that's just what they stock in the supermarkets. There might be some good stuff out there somewhere. So I can't work out whether its the cheese or the process which makes for this apology of a cheese. But let's be honest: how many of us are going to pay for delivery from the internet for what we'd use in a week of a mature cheese. (Saying that though, mature cheese does freeze pretty well, so you can buy a big bit when its on offer and portion it up into week's worth blocks. Defrost in the fridge when wanted). If you want real cheese, go for Cheddar. A little goes a long way. Even the milder flavoured ones have 30 times more flavor oomph than Jack. Or Wednesleydale (a crumbly sort of cheese) which also has great depth of flavor. If you can get some Branston pickle to go with them, its makes for a rewarding sandwich for work. You'll feel you've had a proper lunch rather than an abuse of your physiology (eg as from jack slug cheese). In general, the easy way to shop for a well flavoured cheese is by squidging them. If they deform too easily they'll be nasty (unless its mozzarella or mild goat's cheese). Also better cheeses are less sticky as more of the water has been driven out, lending more flavor per ounce. P.S. I don't work for hate jack cheese society, but maybe I should start one. P.P.S. Isn't Crisco supposed to knacker your arteries really badly due to its hydrogenated vegetable oil nature? Apparently it encourages the growth and multiplication of fat cells, to the point that eating it for two weeks as part of an everyday diet, makes you more likely to become obese for the rest of your life. Jeez, I don't want that crap floating around inside me. Hydrogenated vegetable oils are banned in some countries, aren't they? I threw my stuff in the trash can when I found that out. |
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anon88391
Post 6 |
it's cheap and it actually tastes better than american cheese slices. if you are broke, go for the imitation cheese. it's just vegetable oil. it's not like fake synthetic ingredients; it's just oil. But if you are looking for nutrition go for the american cheese slices. (F.Y.I. same thing with corn syrup and sugar. There is nothing wrong with corn syrup). |
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anon84447
Post 5 |
Tastes fine to me and at 99 cents a pack it's a bargain. |
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anon67418
Post 4 |
I bought a dozen packages of this shredded imitation stuff thinking it was real cheese because the packaging didn't state it was imitation. The stuff wouldn't melt no matter what i did! Maybe it could be used as fire retardant! |
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anon66096
Post 3 |
I mistakenly bought some of this stuff at my local grocery store. I thought it was real cheese. Gross! |
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anon65343
Post 2 |
imitation cheese is not for me. |
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anon52880
Post 1 |
Casein and vegetable oil, eh? In other words, glue and Crisco passing itself off as cheese. |
