WTF is American cheese?

Why do some cheeses melt into ooey gooey deliciousness, while others end up a clumpy mess (and WTF is going on with American cheese)?

𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝘀𝗰𝗶𝗲𝗻𝘁𝗶𝗳𝗶𝗰 𝗻𝗶𝘁𝘁𝘆-𝗴𝗿𝗶𝘁𝘁𝘆:
-Fox PF, Guinee TP, Cogan TM, McSweeney, PLH (2017). Fundamentals of Cheese Science || Cheese as an Ingredient: p 629–679. https://doi.org/10.1016/S1874-558X(04...
-Fox PF, Guinee TP, Cogan TM, McSweeney, PLH (2017). Fundamentals of Cheese Science || Processed Cheese and Substitute/Imitation Cheese Products: p 589–627. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4899-76...
-Kapoor R, Metzger LE, Biswas AC, Muthukummarappan K (2007). Effect of Natural Cheese Characteristics on Process Cheese Properties. Journal of Dairy Science, 90(4), 1625–1634. https://doi.org/10.3168/jds.2006-746
-Pastorino J, Hansen CL, McMahon DJ (2003). Effect of Sodium Citrate on Structure-Function Relationships of Cheddar Cheese. Journal of Dairy Science 86 (10): 3113 - 3121. https://doi.org/10.3168/jds.S0022-030...
-Sözeri AD, Huppertz T. (2023) Melting of natural cheese: A review. InternationaI Dairy Journal 142, 105648. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.idairyj.202...
-Templeton HL, Sommer HH. Some observations on processed cheese. Journal of Dairy Science 1930; 13:203-220. https://doi.org/10.3168/jds.S0022-030...

𝗚𝗼𝗼𝗱 (𝗮𝗰𝗰𝗲𝘀𝘀𝗶𝗯𝗹𝗲) 𝗿𝗲𝗳𝗲𝗿𝗲𝗻𝗰𝗲𝘀:
https://www.seriouseats.com/whats-rea...
https://www.chemistryislife.com/the-c...
https://themolecularcircus.wordpress....
https://www.cheesescience.org/melt.ht...
https://cheesescientist.com/rants/pro...
https://pubsapp.acs.org/cen/whatstuff...
https://www.vox.com/the-goods/2018/10...
https://www.factmr.com/report/157/pro...
https://culturecheesemag.com/cheese-i...
https://www.cdr.wisc.edu/assets/pipel...
https://www.americastestkitchen.com/c...

𝗢𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗿 𝗵𝗲𝗹𝗽𝗳𝘂𝗹 𝘃𝗶𝗱𝗲𝗼𝘀:
   • Why Do Some Cheeses Melt Easily and Others...  
   • How to Pick the Right Cheese for Your Melt...  
   • How you've been melting cheese WRONG your ...  
   • Homemade sodium citrate = smooth cheese sauce  
   • The Delicious Science of CHEESE!  
   • Molten gold - the science behind cheese me...  
   • Science: Love Grilled Cheese or Mac & Chee...  
   • The Science of the Perfect Grilled Cheese ...  
   • Making American cheese to debunk a conspiracy  
   • What Cheese makes the best Mac & Cheese?  

𝗥𝗲𝗹𝗮𝘁𝗲𝗱 𝗿𝗲𝗰𝗶𝗽𝗲𝘀 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗵𝗼𝘄-𝘁𝗼'𝘀:
https://modernistcuisine.com/recipes/...
https://modernistcuisine.com/recipes/...
https://www.seriouseats.com/sodium-ci...
https://www.seriouseats.com/alka-selt...
https://www.americastestkitchen.com/r...

𝗦𝘂𝗽𝗲𝗿-𝗵𝗲𝗹𝗽𝗳𝘂𝗹 𝗲𝘅𝗽𝗲𝗿𝘁𝘀 𝘄𝗵𝗼 𝗰𝗼𝗺𝗺𝘂𝗻𝗶𝗰𝗮𝘁𝗲𝗱 𝘄𝗶𝘁𝗵 𝗺𝗲 𝗮𝗯𝗼𝘂𝘁 𝘁𝗵𝗶𝘀 𝘁𝗼𝗽𝗶𝗰:
Dean Sommer. Cheese & Food Technologist at the Center for Dairy Research, University of Wisconsin-Madison

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