Freedom Cheeze!

[Olgar Shiverstone]

Oh, to clarify, although when Icelanders think of American cheese they think "cheddar",

Thank goodness they don't think it's American not-cheese!

 

[Viking Bastard]

Thank goodness they don't think it's American not-cheese!

Well, that's also firmly American, Subway and cheez-whip and such, but it's not cheese.

 

[delericho]

(which is, btw, not the same of what I think of as UK cheese, which is tougher, even though that appears to be [the original] cheddar).

Re: UK cheddar being "the original"... not necessarily.

Due to the needs of the war effort, during the Second World War there was a mandated "National Cheese" that was the only cheese made in the UK at that time. This was a type of cheddar, but probably not the original. After the war, the range of cheeses that are made was again expanded, but it's not certain how much knowledge was lost or how close the revived cheeses really are to the original. (A possible analogy would be the suggestion that after the New Coke fiasco the taste/recipe wasn't quite what it had been before.)

 

[Zombie_Babies]

There's a movement in America right now that's starting to bring better cheeses to light. They're more easily obtained and more access can lead to more folks trying and then adopting them.

As for the beer, well, 'American' beer isn't what most non-Americans think it is. Budweiser and Miller aren't even American companies anymore and we've had an unparalleled boom in microbreweries going on for quite some time. In fact, we have more than any other country (er, the last time I checked anyway). So, 'American' beer would best be described as a variety of styles crafted by a variety of brewers. It's actually quite good stuff nowdays and a lot of 'em beat quite a few of the notables from other countries, IMO. That said, I think I have to give the 'best brewery' nod to Samuel Smith's, though. They really don't make a bad ... anything.

Oh, the current beer trend here seems to be IPAs - a far cry from the Bud and Miller most people think of when they think 'American' beer.

 

[Morrus]

In fact, we have more than any other country (er, the last time I checked anyway).

One would hope. You're the most populous western country. It's areas where you haven't got five times the amount of countries a fifth your population that are lower than you'd expect.

 

[Kramodlog]

There's a movement in America right now that's starting to bring better cheeses to light. They're more easily obtained and more access can lead to more folks trying and then adopting them.

As for the beer, well, 'American' beer isn't what most non-Americans think it is. Budweiser and Miller aren't even American companies anymore and we've had an unparalleled boom in microbreweries going on for quite some time. In fact, we have more than any other country (er, the last time I checked anyway). So, 'American' beer would best be described as a variety of styles crafted by a variety of brewers. It's actually quite good stuff nowdays and a lot of 'em beat quite a few of the notables from other countries, IMO. That said, I think I have to give the 'best brewery' nod to Samuel Smith's, though. They really don't make a bad ... anything.

Oh, the current beer trend here seems to be IPAs - a far cry from the Bud and Miller most people think of when they think 'American' beer.

You're also getting a microdistillery boom. DISCUS counted 92 in 2010 and in 2014 they count 400 microdistilleries.

 

[Zombie_Babies]

One would hope. You're the most populous western country. It's areas where you haven't got five times the amount of countries a fifth your population that are lower than you'd expect.

True, but it's still cool!

You're also getting a microdistillery boom. DISCUS counted 92 in 2010 and in 2014 they count 400 microdistilleries.

Yup. Some are good and some are ... not.

 

[Herschel]

Here in the US, "american cheese" and "cheddar" are two rather different things.

Yep, the latter is actually cheese while the former is literally one molecule away from plastic.