Processed Cheese
All processed cheese has its ripening process arrested at a given point by heat treatment. It is usually made from one or two cheese types blended together and can never develop the individuality of flavour of natural cheese because the micro-organisms that create such things are effectively killed off. For many people processed cheeses taste 'plastic' and innocuous but nevertheless they are enormously popular, partly because of their keeping properties, their economy, and their blandness. Today there is an enormous range of processed cheese on the market, flavoured by a staggering variety of ingredients which range from salmon to pineapple.
French Processed Cheese: Most of France’s process cheeses are a blend with a creme de Gruyère as as base. They may have a firm, heavy texture, or may be soft, smooth and spreadable.
American Cheese
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American cheese is orange, yellow, or white in color with a medium-firm consistency. It has been made from a blend of cheeses, most often Colby and Cheddar. Today’s American cheese is generally no longer made from a blend of other cheeses, but instead is manufactured from a set of ingredients such as milk, whey, milkfat, milk protein concentrate, whey protein concentrate, and salt. When some of these or other substitutes are used, it does not meet the legal definition of cheese in many jurisdictions, and must be labeled as "cheese analog", "cheese product", processed cheese, or similar. It is usually cut into square slices and has a very mild taste. It melts easily and is good for sandwiches and snacks. American cheese is used in American cuisine, especially on cheeseburgers, in grilled cheese sandwiches, and in macaroni and cheese. |
La Vache Qui Rit (VAHSH-kee-ree)
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The cheese is a blend of cream, milk and fresh and aged cheeses, particularly comté, which are pasteurized to stop the ripening process. Versatile and portable because of its pasteurization process, Laughing Cow can remain unrefrigerated for a limited length of time. Bonbel (bahn-BEHL) is a mild-flavored semi-soft cheese sold in small, usually yellow, paraffin-coated rounds. It is pale cream in color. Its smooth, buttery, texture makes it popular with fruit, sandwiches, and salads. Slightly nutty in taste. Bonbel is brand name for factory made Saint Paulin. BabyBel, its cousin, is a small French Edam; this cheese, too is slightly nutty in flavor. Six de Savoie: is similar to La Vache Qui Rit, it is pack aged in small triangular wedges. |
Velveeta Pasterized Process Cheese
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Velveeta is the brand name of a processed cheese product first made in 1918 by Swiss immigrant Emil Frey of the Monroe Cheese Company in Monroe, New York. In 1923, The Velveeta Cheese Company was incorporated as a separate company, and was sold to Kraft Foods in 1927. The product was advertised for its nutrition. Velveeta is labeled in the United States as a "Pasteurized Prepared Cheese Product" Mild and creamy; it melts well. For some cooks, because of its melting properties it is a reqirement for making creamy macaroni and cheese. Velveeta is a blend of natural cheeses that have been processed using heat; includes American cheese, cheese spread and cheese food. Used mostly for cooking purposes. |
The Laughing Cow (in French: La Vache Qui Rit) is a brand of cheese products made by Fromageries Bel. The “laughing cow” appears
on the label and has become an American favorite. The Laughing Cow is available in cocktail-size
rounds and in individual spreadable wedge-shaped portions packaged in a round, flat box. 
Other French process cheeses:
Beau Pasteur: This cheese has a mild, distinct flavor, a creamy buttery texture
and no crust. It is available in a three-pound round.
Fondu au Raisin/La Grappe/Tomme au Marc: Three different names for a semi-soft cheese with a distinctive grape flavor imparted
by its rind (inedible) of grape seeds, called “marc” — the remains
from the pressed grapes. The tommes of cheese were left to macerate in the marc creating a black grape seed crust.
Gourmandise (goor-mahn-DEEZ): Similar to Beau Pasteur with either a cherry or walnut flavor.
A party and dessert favorite.
Nec Plus Ultra: Similar in texture and quality to Gourmandise. It is served
in the same manner, and also is available in cherry or walnut flavors.
