To set the stage: Cheez Whiz was developed by Canadian-born James L. But as it happens, the history of Cheese Whiz might not be as American as we thought. Cheez Whiz is not as American as you thinkĪlong with apple pie and air conditioning, Cheez Whiz tends to get pointed to as being quintessentially American. In celebration of this iconic, cheese-like condiment, let us go back to a time before we became cheese snobs and dive into the untold truth of Cheese Whiz. No longer would Americans have to laboriously slice or peel off flimsy plastic films or even chew to enjoy cheese - cheese-loving consumers could shovel a spoonful of Cheese Whiz straight from the jar into their mouth! When Kraft food scientist Edwin Traisman and his team invented Cheese Whiz, they dreamed of creating a food that outdid Kraft Singles in terms of quick and easy eating. No, this is an ode to Cheese Whiz, that gooey substance that is neither fine nor artisanal… nor even actual cheese.īut to criticize Cheese Whiz for its lack of class, craftsmanship, or cheese, would be to miss the point of the product entirely.

Let’s be clear: this article is not about those fine artisanal cheeses. Amid America’s golden age of cheese, there are hundreds of varieties of fine fromages handcrafted by more than 900 artisan and specialty cheesemakers in the US.

Cheez whiz jar