The Stranded 19-Year-Old Who Invented American Cheese from Unwanted Leftovers

When it comes to food, Kraft is an industry juggernaut - worth $40 billion.
But it wasn’t always the giant that it is today. The history of Kraft starts with a man stranded in Chicago, who took his last $65 and began selling cheese from a horse-pulled wagon.
Then, he used leftover cheese scraps to experiment and find a new way to make cheese that lasted longer, which he shipped in tins to support the soldiers fighting in the first World War.
This is the story of how James L. Kraft built his food empire.
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Code: OETZSIJL1X9FDITJ, K0Q62UNYHIPLU4LI, QWHXEIEMRPVJ7PMS, BJS8EYNABHXT9XEI, 9HGQQUSBVVKKARCB, 2HEF2HFVBKMHTNLV, ROE28WFUINV9O5JR

[@katerinachelmis568]

Correction soft cheeses spoiled very fast; hard cheese is made to last upwards of a year at room temp.

[@broderickwallis25]

The creation of a cellar gives stable temps. Which is the secret to basic organic breakdown.

[@szk4023]

As an American expat living in France, I'm kinda surprised the American cheese market is relevant on a global scale. There are around 1200 varieties of delicious cheeses in France.

[@JohannGambolputty22]

You obviously didn’t pay attention. American cheese isn’t even American. It’s Swiss. That was just a Kraft marketing term. Pasteurized process cheese melts better and stays refrigerated longer. Not only that if you take any kind of cheese and make a Mornay sauce, one of the French Mother sauces, you’re essentially making pasteurized process cheese. So it’s ain’t just American and there’s plenty of European brands unrelated to anything Kraft coined.

[@changthunderwang7543]

Isn’t it obvious? American cheese is far cheaper than whatever fancy french stuff that comes out of europe.

[@szk4023]

@@changthunderwang7543 French cheese is more expensive than American cheese in the US but in Europe it is relatively affordable. Also, not all French cheese is “fancy”. Cheap French cheeses also exist for everyday use. They even make copycats of American cheddar etc.

[@changthunderwang7543]

@@szk4023 That’s probably because of a thriving local industry that makes the cheese right there. That’s not something you can cheaply export compared to American style processed cheese.

[@dapper_gent]

I like how he used mice as his tasters, and they seemed to like it so he went and made the big step forward.

[@mrkitty777]

Mouse 🤭

[@fireaza]

If cartoons have taught me anything, it's that mice are cheese connoisseurs!

[@nignamedmutt7270]

Alternate universe where first human taste tester didn't like it: James craft:...... WELL THE MICE LOVED IT!!!!

[@idocare6538]

@@fireaza ROFL!

[@itznoel9507]

@@fireaza reminds me of the scene from ratatouille where remy ate cheese then strawberry then ate them both at the same time.

[@orangeradishneo]

I’m a descendant of James L Kraft, a lot of us are still in the area he was born in. I even own a Kraft family cookbook of collected family recipes. The Kraft family homestead is still in Fort Erie, where descendants held reunions.

[@jj18057]

J.L is my great great uncle. I don't currently know through which brother

[@orangeradishneo]

@@jj18057 Oh hi cousin!

[@mitcho5452]

so cool! im from milwaukee so im very familiar with the pabst family

[@slippytrippy8122]

Im humbled by being around all this cheese royalty

[@bschwand]

cheese was invented to preserve milk. some cheeses mature for 6 months or more. Do not say cheese does not last without refrigeration... Fresh cheese, yes, but there are plenty of hard cheese that do not really need serious refrigeration. A cellar does just fine.

[@firestrikerii810]

It doesn’t do fine. Also cheese does NOT last without refrigerator

[@firestrikerii810]

There are no hard cheese without serious Refrigeration. Cellar doesn’t do anything

[@firestrikerii810]

No

[@firestrikerii810]

No

[@bschwand]

You should travel a little. Read a bit too.

[@gholland5840]

American cheese and Kraft singles are two completely different products. The former can legally be called cheese while the latter can't. American cheese is just cheddar plus emulsifier, while Kraft singles are 32% American cheese, then milk, vegetable oil, milk solids, whey, water... And so on

[@stevejones9062]

same here in Australia , the only mention of cheese on the Kraft singles pack is in the ingredients list

[@GavinPetty]

so that's why kraft singles taste so wrong.

[@bobbiusshadow6985]

Kraft's original American cheese morphed into Kraft Singles of today, with many stages between back then and now .. sadly

[@b.y.2460]

Exactly. The labels on 'singles' and 'cheese food,' as opposed to real cheese, are the perfect way to teach someone how labeling laws in the US work. Kraft Singles is a packaged product that contains cheese as an ingredient. American cheese is a cheese in the traditional sense.

[@hankkingsley9300]

Who gives a flying f***

[@ragingsilver]

It's amazing how so many big companies we know today started.

[@baonkang5990]

What?

[@dingdong2103]

we should remember however that 65 bucks was a lot of money in the turn of the century. Adjusted for inflation it's equivalent to 65000 current USD.

[@ThomasRonnberg]

in a garage

[@enrott8560]

I wonder how many future big companies started today

[@ThomasRonnberg]

@@enrott8560 Coinbase

[@stefannilsson2406]

Some cheeses can last for many, years even if not refrigerated. There are lots of premium cheeses that have been aged for 5+ years.

[@gabrielmavrick8903]

I believe those cheeses are put in rooms in certain temperature and little humidity.

[@boxinabox6608]

@@gabrielmavrick8903 do you mean high?

[@gabrielmavrick8903]

@@boxinabox6608 humidity would make bacteria and fungus grow a lot easier

[@boxinabox6608]

@@gabrielmavrick8903 you said little humidity

[@lawrencelymanii6943]

Yes, aged in very controlled environments, and most are hard cheeses. It's done today, but wasn't done as much in the past.

[@Oniontrololol]

I always prefer cheddar over American cheese in my burger whenever possible

[@ps3301]

When I tried Kraft cheese the first time, I thought it was the worst food in the world.

[@jamesdolph437]

because it is not food

[@scottbrenham1341]

I never liked Kraft cheese it was the taste it was processed cheese. Processed cheese products are also fused with water that alters the flavor plus preservatives it was real cheese brands like organic valley or some selections at whole foods market. Its rich flavor and using for grilled cheese on toasted sourdough bread. You can freeze it up.

[@darrenlane6316]

To call this cheese, is an insult to cheese.

[@dickJohnsonpeter]

As a Wisconsinite that was always my opinion even from early childhood as well but it does have its uses. Grilled cheese is the only one that comes to mind though.

[@testingmysoup5678]

@@darrenlane6316 it's literally just a mix of cheese

[@hmu958]

Kraft-Heinz literally feeding the pharmaceutical industry

[@PoopFrancis]

Few understand this

[@russellalderman6920]

In the 1970s I lived in the Philippines. That was where I found canned Kraft cheddar. Wow! Shelf-stable cheese! I'd love to get some today.

[@michealfriedman7084]

Ate it as a kid. It's better to eat non processed cheese now.

[@FatheredPuma81]

While $2200 isn't a lot of money I do think it's a pretty reasonable amount of money to start a small basic business with...

[@sleuth2077]

As I've gotten older, I've started to realize that American cheese is kind of gross.

[@SDogo]

Tbh, I doubt that you can call that cheese. It doesn't even taste like cheese. Americans really need to know how to eat better. Real cheese taste a lot better (well... I guess it's a bit hard to find real food in a country where everything is deep fried or covered in sugar).

[@_kommandant_3055]

@@SDogo Lol. We have plenty of real cheese in the US. Especially around Wisconsin

[@Harvest133]

@@SDogo strange. Tastes like Colby to me. Maybe you're tongue is broken. You should send it in for repairs.

[@QUBIQUBED]

@@SDogo American cheese is just cheap pseudo cheese, it’s not the only cheese we eat

[@timohess3909]

@@SDogo 100% true

[@artiehealy8043]

So basically, Kraft singles are the hot dogs of the cheese world.

[@RC-nq7mg]

This stuff tastes nothing like cheese. I generally call it plastic cheese as that is what its visual appeal and flavour remind me of. And if there is anyone out there that has never had a grilled cheese sandwich made with real cheddar you have no idea what your missing out on.

[@CupoChinoMusic]

yeah but it spoils

[@galfisk]

@@CupoChinoMusic oh no, we might have to *gasp* refrigerate it, and keep it in a sealed baggie!

[@Hycil2023]

maybe you got some weird version of it or just simply dont like the flavor, theres a reason its so popular right now especially with foods like burgers. cheese can taste wildly different from each other so saying it tastes nothing like cheese is valid but also isnt actually something bad

[@galfisk]

Processed cheese tastes like cheese the same way ketchup tastes like tomatoes. It's a monolithic taste that completely lacks nuance.

[@Harvest133]

@@galfisk it's literally a mixture of cheeses, typically Colby and cheddar, with an emulsifing salt. That's it. If you make homemade macaroni and cheese, you literally do the same thing, just with flour instead of the emulsifier salt. If the stuff you had was "plastic-y", it is a brand issue.

[@whiteonggoy7009]

Stranded!!!!! He used survival kraft..

[@The_Mess85]

Meanwhile in Europe, cheese was salted and sometimes dried, which allowed it to last for ages. Which once milk start to be pasteurised allowed softer cheeses to last longer outside a fridge.

[@ArtistBrianSheffield]

This has got to be the cheesiest story I ever heard.

[@fireaza]

You could say his cheese invention helped him make a LOT of cheddar!

[@mrthewubbie]

Womp-Womp

[@selfproclaimednobody4614]

Fantastic dad joke

[@opposedscroll7596]

DA BUM TSS

[@spiritedwisent]

'So after perfecting his recepie (with his last 65$) he purchased his first factory'🤔 65$ trully took you far in those days😅

[@seraphthegatekeeper]

I imagine he got financing based on his background in the cheese industry. These kinds of stories always leave out the crucial nitty gritty details.

[@beeleo]

$65 🙄

[@KirtCarson]

The $65 was spent on warehouse cheese that he delivered to local markets for a fee to save them from driving to get it themselves for about a year. He established his local brand of cheese in a can with those profits. With some luck he got an army contract that afforded him the factory and went national.

[@Didgeridoovibes]

No electrical refrigerators doesn't mean there wheren't any - middle class and above aswell as grocery stores had special built cupboards with blocks of ice in one compartment and space for foods in another. Invented somewhen around mid 1750's

[@kenrushing7945]

I'm going to take my $65 and take kraft cheese and make it taste good.

[@davedammitt7691]

Lost me right at the beginning when he claimed that Kraft singles are even American cheese. Kraft singles are made of oil. Get a Kraft single and American cheese from a deli and it's literally two completely different products

[@Orinslayer]

whoa its so amazing how small the world is, huh? The maker of velveeta was just starting out and doing something similar at the exact same time. Then kraft bought velveeta later.

[@RaizerZ]

If anyone wants to try good American cheese try out landolakes brand. It actually resembles real cheese than plastic and tastes good.

[@shaffy856]

Cooper,Deitz and Watson, and Clearfield are also good brands

[@jaredf6205]

Not just any land o lakes American cheese, look for the New Yorker style land o lakes cheese.

[@philipketchell8369]

Come to England if you want to taste real Cheese...

[@maenad1231]

It’s very easy for me to believe American Cheese was invented by a teenage palate

[@Tom-fv9jf]

Agreed.

[@joeycampbell940]

He never even mentioned real American cheese, he just kept calling kraft cheese product, American cheese for some reason.

[@eddiekulp1241]

I do not eat 40 pounds of processed cheese a year , most dont either . That's slightly less than a pound a week

[@knurlgnar24]

Most of it is in the form of 'cheese powder' used for flavoring. Think Doritos and mac and cheese. Their hydrated weight is what would be counted.

[@nadimkeval9389]

lol imagine the guy next door, guzzling nacho cheese as a drink to his meal.

[@annarodriguez9868]

I always ask for extra cheese on my burgers and everything else! So, I'm probably eating your share of cheese! 😋 Thanks!

[@andreasu.3546]

Almost two ounces of cheese a day. Hard to believe that...

[@jeffpiatt3879]

I consume 5 pounds of cheese a day, to make up for the lack of cheese that others eat. Yes, my stools are as hard as steel.....

[@shirleysmith9421]

When working Kraft Chese helped us to make quick inexpensive meals in our 70s now still eating Kraft cheese and enjoying it! 😂😊❤❤❤❤❤❤❤

[@aussiebaz5363]

That was enjoyable, thank you. I wrote a poem about me as a very sick child, aged 4, when the only readily available cheese in Australia was Kraft Cheddar. I must have needed calcium as I had spent 4 months in hospital with meningitis. Mum said I ate it by the packet, cheese sandwiches every day for years. Australian and New Zealand Cheese is some of the best in the World, so cheese is still a staple in my diet.

[@nielsklarenberg5871]

Laughs in dutch.

[@aussiebaz5363]

@@nielsklarenberg5871 On ya Niels, keep up the heartless arrogance your breed is famous for, you serve your country well. And please never forget the ANZACS who fought to free your nation from the Nazis. Enjoy your Gouda with a piece of humble pie, then say thank you to us as if you meant it.

[@MapsAndCaps]

Can you post the poem?

[@tacolover105]

@@aussiebaz5363 *fought to get paid

[@WojciechP915]

How dare you describe ANY cheese as unwanted.

[@arificiallemon3640]

this is the story of a man who used his last 65 dollars cheese scraps one in a trillion luck and years of cheesemaking and business experiences

[@njorogesteve1845]

This channel is pure gold😍🥳🙏love from nairobi kenya

[@suzannehousden1779]

Excellent story. That was very entertaining.

[@Christmaswreath]

for some reason it really bugs me how it shows $45 instead of $65.

[@chesthoIe]

What do y'all call American that we wouldn't guess? I know France calls brass knuckles, poing américain, meaning American fist.

[@potatobird52]

Hi, I am Italian-Mexican; American football is a very common one American refrigerator is in reference to fridges with double doors, as it is far more common for us to see only one door Al Americano/a in both Spanish and Italian is something that we use in reference to something that can be attributed to the US; so think pepperoni pizza: pizza al americano. Ranch occasionally gets called American sauce/mayo; but this is more common for ranch-flavored items, like “Cool Ranch” Doritos becoming “Cool American”. Red Solo cups (the ones in every college party) get called “American cups” since we saw them in movies all the time American (California) wine also is fairly common in East Asia (as told by some online friends) but I cannot confirm or deny this with certainty We also have a few names for Americans themselves; in Mexico, gringos (though everyone knows that one) yanquis (literally yankees; somewhat rude) and spring-breakers (specifically for college-age Americans) In Italy, we have americano; that’s about it. Oh, and I’ve been told that the word “seppo” is a very rude Australian slang term for Americans, something derived from septic tank, apparently anyway, hope that sort of satisfies your question!

[@VinL82]

Sir we can’t replicate it. He built this in his basement with a box of scraaaps

[@nunyabidnez9004]

And it tastes exactly how you would think it would. American cheese is the absolute worst cheese of cheeses. >_

[@JPJ432]

Nice work. You just gained a subscriber!

[@levy9595]

I'm of the belief that American cheese is gross and not real cheese, but this guy identified a market need, found a solution and executed it so he deserves all his success

[@softolive]

And now I want cheese

[@TheSimArchitect]

I am not a mega fan of cheese or a coinessaur but processed cheese always tasted like plastic to me. It's like eating play dough or something that's not meant to be eaten 😬

[@abrasionequation4632]

"Packed with Nutrition" hahaha

[@acidset]

I think he meant "probably better than air" But remember, if was regarding canned cheese

[@trublgrl]

So, linguistically, I think the product was actually named "Kraft-processed Cheese." All cheese is processed in some way, it would be normal to name the process something like "Pasteurization," after Louise Pasteur, the inventor, or "Kraft Process" after James Kraft.

[@marcuscook5145]

You say "only $65" but lets not forget that was like having $2K back then. $65 wouldn't leave anyone stranded in the early 1900s.

[@denzelboado1722]

The story of Heinz ketchup should be featured next.

[@MrBobconner1952]

So, now we know who to blame for that monstrosity they call "cheese"

[@andiarrohnds5163]

I WILL CONSUME PROCESSED CHEESE THANK YOU GLORIOUS CHEESE FATHER

[@neirdakadrien3810]

this is easily the worst culinary crime of the 20th century

[@chillmurray7529]

This was so much more interesting than I ever thought cheese could be. Subbed immediately

[@pattyanne9982]

Ditto (⁠✷⁠‿⁠✷⁠)

[@johnson4523]

That 40lbs is simply an average, as in i suspect there’s a small population eating an alarmingly high amount. Would be interesting to see a distribution of population versus amount eaten

[@wacho4xj]

It is me. I'm the one eating an alarmingly high amount of cheese.

[@stevehuntley3089]

He's Krafty and he's just my type!

[@jjh7611]

This is a slice of hope

[@itzcreamyy4459]

ik right

[@banditapattanaik3179]

Indeed it is!

[@itzcreamyy4459]

@Heisenberg your right

[@NathanHarrison7]

Brilliant history lesson about a brilliant man. Thank you! Subscribed.

[@Mis73rRand0m]

I make sodium citrate at home with baking soda and tomato canning citric acid. Not hard to make soft cheese at home, lol.

[@johnmarquardt1991]

Processed cheese is not cheese, it's mostly oil with added cheese that didn't pass quality standards.

[@bouncycastle955]

so? I'm fascinated that people are so distressed by this fact. When you put cheese on pizza, it isn't cheese, it's a pizza that has cheese on it, it's still food.

[@Tom-fv9jf]

The worst thing i've ever tasted. Should be criminal to call it cheese.

[@mr.upcycle9589]

Cheese was created to preserve milk. Real cheese does not spoil fast. They would also coat it in wax to preserve it even longer.

[@geoffreypiltz271]

Hmm, the only possible excuses are that you like bland flavours or don't have a refrigerator. All sorts of cheeses keep for weeks, or even months in our frig.

[@pomponi0]

That sounds like a rags to riches story, but 65 dollars in 1893 was no pocket change. It's the equivalent of 2,130 dollars today. Plus, housing prices were so low, that would be several months worth of rent.

[@kcgunesq]

processed cheese is certainly not the "best" cheese, but sometimes, it is the best tasting cheese for the particular moment.

[@rocketspushoffair]

Amazing! 🍺

[@AngiesASMR]

This is interesting. My family is the founder of Hautley Cheese.

[@claytonkirby878]

Once you eat real cheese it's a game changer

[@dubb3835]

He made 119 million after ww1 that's pretty good

[@brownie911]

i love these videos

[@brownie911]

and i just saw " 2 minutes ago, 42 views" and im like, hell naw no way im gonna be that early

[@ivermec-tin666]

Kraft singles are primarily soy oil. They are not a food product.

[@bouncycastle955]

soy oil is a food product...

[@ivermec-tin666]

@@bouncycastle955 It is poison.

[@bouncycastle955]

@@ivermec-tin666 so is water, so is air. Everything in moderation

[@ivermec-tin666]

@@bouncycastle955 No. It's poison.

[@bouncycastle955]

@@ivermec-tin666 I didn't say it wasn't... Can you read, son? Water is also a poison.... so what?

[@SpiderxPunk]

"With just $65...." Actually, that was still worth $3,447.31 in 1903. Remember to factor in inflation.

[@FichFlavour]

When American cheese is Canadian.

[@loraawalker3618]

Very interesting. It would be better with music volume much lower. I almost quit several times.

[@Intentionally_Inflammatory]

**Keeps saying $65** **Keeps showing $45**

[@n-do]

yeahhhh!!

[@chuckklein2695]

I live in Milwaukee the pabst mansion is right down thw street and this is crazy

[@murraystewartj]

If it says "cheese" on the label, good. If it says something like "cheese product", "processed cheese product" or, what so many of these thing should say, "Hey! we dyed it orange so it looks like cheese" then not so good.

[@timothyodne7741]

This Kraft singles is new🌸

[@VenomStryker]

Ironic how Kraft was a war profiteer without even having negative motives.

[@aslanburnley]

Scrambled eggs with kraft singles. Mmmm.

[@WhiteBloggerBlackSpecs]

World-famous investor and McDonald's eater Warren Buffet

[@mikeyoutube8613]

I don't think kraft cheese is considered cheese💀💩

[@Hayden_Gamez]

Nice

[@christopherwilson7698]

The stories that confirm the American Dream

[@call132]

American cheese invented by a Canadian love it haha

[@_kommandant_3055]

@@call132 Many things in America are created by foreigners as the country is compromised of foreigners. Especially back in the day

[@mastrblastr3010]

This guy was already a well-established name in the cheese industry. He used this to get an army contract. Not just anyone could do it.

[@alextaylor2551]

One brave man destroyed all American credibility on the global cheese market! 🎉

[@ElEheyeh]

I think it hinders progress when someone can patent a process and than essentially monopolize the market

[@baileyhatfield4273]

It was a basically brand new idea at the time. Ok, you invent the idea, spend tons of time money effort in it, and your neighbor whos done 0 work says cool, does the same thing, far less involved, makes a cooler name and voila, they take your invention and make billions.

[@Redskies453]

It hinders progress to make IP unprotected, as it is a disincentive to research and development

[@Sadboy80629]

Tons of countries don't have patent offices

[@scallopohare9431]

And why do we call it "American" cheese? Because it was sent to Britain when their own dairy products were all supplied to their military as part of the war effort. Slightly off-topic, there really is a Cheddar in England. It's an adorable holiday village. And they do still make Cheddar cheese in Cheddar, UK.

[@QUBIQUBED]

Makes sense. Cheddar makes cheddar cheese

[@gregiles908]

Australians call it either Cheese or Processed Cheese, no confusion

[@emirates111]

saying 65 dollars is if that was anything close to what it is today

[@sams6090]

Ya'll know you only showed 45 dollars right? $65 is 3 $20's and 1 $5.

[@ivanrivera777]

Makes sense, it taste like unwanted leftovers.

[@bouncycastle955]

that's what cheese is lol, it was "invented" when dairy products went bad

[@Stfu9785]

If you ever feel useless just remember this guy

[@ThatrandomIdiot-qb5ui]

Wdym by useless??

[@TheBirdGuy10]

You should do a story about John Deere

[@psykoaddict]

Everything coming from that island of horror is bad and made to hurt us on the long run

[@andrecloete2006]

Dietary administration of 5% sodium citrate to male F344 rats clearly promoted the induction of preneoplastic and neoplastic lesions of the bladder initiated with N-butyl-N-(4-hydroxybutyl)nitrosamine. Enhancement of tumorigenesis by sodium citrate was associated with changes in a number of urinary parameters: apparent elevation of pH; increase of sodium ion concentration; increase of crystalline MgNH4PO4. These results show that sodium citrate promotes bladder carcinogenesis.

[@fireincarnation2]

Who eats 5% sodium citrate? Dose makes the poison.

[@zeruty]

How many years did he spend in prison for unleashing this garbage upon us?

[@squawkthepenguin9492]

American Cheese, even now an unwanted leftover...

[@williamfreeman6935]

So a Canadian invented "American" Cheese?

[@cbryan3549]

65 dollars would've been worth around 2k back then

[@stellarfirefighter5318]

Americans eat an avg of 40lbs of american cheese per year?!?!? Someone out there is eating an assload of processed cheese!

[@brandongammage1060]

This is the greatest thing since... Sliced bread!

[@--harry_]

Ahh, that joke was cheesy!

[@kirbymarchbarcena]

What a cheesy life