Cold pack cheese

Cold-pack cheese, also known as club cheese or crock cheese,^[1] is a type of cheese spread that is created by blending natural cheeses without the use of heat.

Cold-pack cheese

Alternative names	Club cheese
Type	Cheese spread
Place of origin	United States
Region or state	Wisconsin
Created by	Hubert Fassbender
Invented	c. 1930
Main ingredients	Cheese
Ingredients generally used	Spices, fruits, vegetables, or nuts

Cold-pack cheese was first made by a Wisconsin tavern owner for snacking^[1] during the height of the Great Depression.^[2] It is often made using Cheddar or Swiss cheeses as a base, using added spices, fruits, vegetables, or nuts as flavoring.^[3] Common flavorings include almonds, port wine, horseradish, and smoked flavor.^[2]

Being made without heat, cold-pack cheese is not shelf-stable and requires refrigeration. Compared to cheese spreads made with heat, cold-pack cheese better preserves the taste and texture of its constituent cheeses.^[2]

The FDA has standards of identity for the production of "cold-pack and club cheese", "cold-pack cheese food", and "cold-pack cheese food with fruits, vegetables, or meats." Any cheese except "cream cheese, neufchatel cheese, cottage cheese, creamed cottage cheese, cook cheese, skim-milk cheese for manufacturing,[...] semisoft part-skim cheese, part-skim spiced cheese, and hard grating cheese" may be used. The added flavor(s) must not mimic the flavor of cheese.^[4]

As with most cheese spreads, cold-pack cheese is a soft spreadable blend of cheeses that can be used in a variety of applications. It can be used as an ingredient in sandwiches; on top of hot foods, such as potatoes; as a base for a cheese sauce; or simply on its own, served with crackers as an appetizer.^{[citation needed]}

See also

• List of spreads