New Survey Reveals Most Popular Sandwich Cheese Is A Close Race
There are a million different ways to include cheese in your diet, and plenty of ways to do so. While it might be high in salts and fats, Healthline notes that cheese is actually considered a nutrient-dense whole food. One of the most common though has got to be by using it in a sandwich.
According to History, the modern idea of the sandwich dates back to 1762, and at the time of its invention by the fourth Earl of Sandwich, also known as the English politician John Montagu, it did not originally contain cheese. These days though, it's hard to think of a sandwich without some form of cheese. Whether it's the iconic wiz of a Philly Cheesesteak, the melting Swiss of a Reuben, or the ooey-gooey strands of cheddar hanging off of a grilled cheese, it's become an essential ingredient.
To find out which type of cheese happens to be the most popular sandwich topping, Tasting Table conducted a survey of more than 600 participants. And the results show that it's hard to give one cheese total superiority of the many available options.
Swiss cheese was declared the winner
The results of the survey came down to a nearly three-way tie for the best sandwich cheese. Swiss cheese was chosen as the most popular cheese for a sandwich with 137 votes. Just behind it in a tie were American and cheddar cheeses with 135 votes each. It's fitting that American and cheddar should come in at a tie considering cheddar cheese was first used by James L. Kraft in his first batch of American cheese.
What most Americans know as Swiss cheese is a variety that is based on the Swiss style known as Emmental, per Cheese.com. Swiss cheese is best known for its slightly nutty and sweet flavor, and uniquely perforated pattern. Brewster Cheese notes that this structure of interior holes is due to bubbles of carbon dioxide that are produced during the maturing process.
The least popular cheese for sandwiches selected was Muenster, which is a variety that hails from the Alsace region of France, where it was first made by monks (via Lacademie). It received just over 9% of the vote. The other least popular options were provolone and Colby-Jack, which received 13% and 10% of the vote, respectively.