What is Cheez Whiz®?
Cheez Whiz®, that icon of the midnight snacking world, is actually considered a “processed cheese sauce” by its creator, Kraft Foods. Kraft Foods introduced Cheez Whiz® in 1952, although its popular predecessor, a thicker processed cheese food called Velveeta®, had been on store shelves since the 1920s. While Velveeta® worked well in recipes calling for a melt-able cheese, it still remained fairly solid at room temperature. By adding various stabilizers and extenders, Kraft’s food engineers were able to create a cheese sauce which would still be soft at room temperature. Cheez Whiz® was the final result of those experiments. Cheez Whiz® is primarily used as a cheese-flavored dip for snack items such as crackers, potato chips and corn tortilla chips, but it can also be mixed with diced onions, cilantro and jalapeño peppers to form salsa con queso. Because Cheez Whiz® remains viable at room temperature, it can also be offered as a condiment for hamburgers, hot dogs and other sandwiches.
