Southern Charm…

Photo credit by hometown seeds

Hello Fellow Cheese Enthusiasts!

Recently I had the opportunity to travel to the South…to be specific, Atlanta, Georgia. Ask anyone their thoughts on the foods from the South, and you will most certainly hear someone speak about Pimento Cheese. I confirmed this with my sister who lives in Atlanta and her husband from Alabama.

When one thinks of agriculture from Georgia, the thoughts of Peanuts, Pecans, and certainly Peaches (their State fruit) come to mind, but did you know that Georgia nearly became known as “The Pimento State”?...It’s true! Georgia did not become known as the Peach State until April 7, 1995, while Pimento crops in Georgia in the 1960’s produced nearly 90% of the Nation’s pimentos.

Southerners speak very passionately about Pimento Cheese. It has been part of their food culture for years, so this Cheese Traveler decided to dig a little deeper to get the back story on how this simple cheese spread became so wildly popular, and why there are so many variations on it.

Let’s start at the beginning…

The Peppers – Pimientos (or Pimentos) – Are commonly called Cherry Peppers, while their Latin name is Capsicum annuum. They belong to a family of the five most commonly cultivated peppers in the plant genus Capsicum. Mild and sweet, they have a “Scoville Rating” of 100 to 500 SHU (for more on Scoville Heat Units, click here). “Sweet” refers to the peppers being neither sour nor savory.

Their name comes from the Latin word pigmentum, meaning “pigment” or coloring and have its earliest records in Spanish as pimentón and in Portuguese as pimentão. Spanish Paprika is made from these peppers.

If one were to simply search “Pimento Cheese History”, you would be led to believe that Pimento Peppers were discovered in the early 1900’s, while in fact, America had been importing them into the U.S. as early as the 1820’s.

While these peppers had been available fresh for a long time, these peppers gained popularity once they were canned and discovered by food editors and society pages around the country, that one could add these canned peppers to salads and sandwiches for added color and flavor.

Early Recipes – Harper’s Bazaar made mention of a Pimento Cheese as early as 1905, but it was the 1908 article “The Pungent Pimento” by Jane Hegner in the “Good Eating” section of the March edition of Good Housekeeping that caught people’s attention, as well as their imagination on how versatile this small little pepper could be. Jane included recipes for Pimento Omelets and Pimento Patties, but it is the Pimento Sandwiches recipe that became most repeated:

“To one-fourth pound of soft cream cheese, add one teaspoon of chopped chives, one saltspoon of mixed mustard and two tablespoons of minced pimento. Add cream and beat until soft and creamy. Spread between thin slices of buttered bread.”

Just one year later, Eva Greene Fuller wrote a book titled: “The Up-to-Date Sandwich Book – 400 Ways to Make a Sandwich” which featured a Pimento Sandwich – “Grind two small cans of pimentos with two cakes of Neufchatel cheese, and season with a little salt. If the mixture is too dry add a little oil of pimentos. Spread on thin slices of lightly buttered white bread. Place the two together and cut into fancy shapes”.

One must remember that in 1908/1909 that home refrigeration consisted of a simple ice box, so refrigeration temperatures were inconsistent; food varieties were more regional and local due to transportation; and food costs were high, so having meat may have been a luxury. It is due to all of these reasons that families were eager to try something new.

Grown in America – By 1910, the pimento had made its way into popular food culture. Much of this early popularity can be attributed to Samuel Rigel of Experiment Station, Georgia (located in Spalding, Georgia). It was here that Samuel and his sons became backyard pepper enthusiasts planting eight varieties from Philadelphia and one canned one from Spain. It became quite apparent that the Spanish Pepper was far superior, so seeing the U.S. Government as an ally, they contacted their Georgia Congressman, Charles Bartlett to see if he could get some seeds directly from Spain. Within just a few years, Samuel grew a variety which he named “Perfection”.

In 1911, they were distributing seeds and Samuel’s son Mark developed a process for peeling the peppers which increased the speed to market.

The Bourbon News, Paris Kentucky 18 Feb 1910; Page 5

By this time, several companies started to produce Pimento flavored cheese – Nielson’s (or Nellson’s, Neihlson’s), Karlen’s, Richclieu, Blue Label, Beech Nut, and Elkhorn. Even at .15¢ a can, this was not in some people’s budget, so it was just a matter of time before a recipe on how to create your own “pimento cheese” at home - Here is one from Shreveport, Louisiana dated 2 May 1909:

“Cheese Sandwich – Take one-half pound of American Cheese and a dozen pimentos. Put cheese and pimentos through meat grinder. Mix with enough mayonnaise to be thin enough to spread on thin slices of bread and butter”.

By 1923, America had dominated the canned Pimento cheese industry from Europe.

In the 1940’s, a cannery that the Riegel family founded was bringing in $3 million dollars annually, employing 1,100 workers and contracting with 1,000 farmers….and this was just one of twenty-one pimento canneries in the state of Georgia...Now you can begin to understand why it almost became “The Pimento State”.

As America entered World War II, it was another opportunity for families to watch their dollars, so inexpensive Pimento Cheese Sandwiches once again became popular.

Before I launch into modern producers of Pimento Cheese, I should take a few minutes to mention several icons that elevated the status of the humble Pimento Cheese:

·      In 1917, Eugenia Duke begins selling sandwiches with her homemade mayonnaise to soldiers at Fort Sevier. Sandwiches cost a dime each, and Duke makes a profit of 2 cents per sandwich. By 1918, she has sold her 11,000th Pimento Cheese Sandwich and earns enough to purchase her first delivery truck. In 1923, she stopped selling her sandwiches and focused on selling her Duke’s Mayonnaise.

·      Nick Rangos may not be a household name, but he is best known for creating the Pimento Cheese Sandwich, that was sold for over 40 years at the Master’s Golf Tournament held in Augusta, Georgia. His secret recipe?...No one will ever know, as he took the recipe to his grave in 2015.

 Modern Times – While I was visiting grocery stores in the Atlanta area, I ended up picking up several different brands, not to pick the best, but to celebrate their diversity.

Sweet Grass Dairy – Thomasville, Georgia. Sweet Grass Dairy Pimento Cheese is a unique adaptation of the classic recipe which includes their very own Thomasville Tomme, mayonnaise, piquillo pepper, and pimentón from Spain. This Southern classic has a slightly spicy, smokey flavor and a creamy, spreadable texture.

My Three Sons – Greensboro, North Carolina. Available in three flavors: Emmy’s Original, Fiery Jalapeño, and Spicy White Cheddar. I chose the Spicy White Cheddar. Their best-selling flavor combines extra sharp white cheddar cheese with a touch of cayenne and garlic powder. They take special care to grate the cheese in large pieces so it’s chunky, thick and out of this world. Melt it and the flavor explodes!

Callie’s Hot Little Biscuit – Charleston, South Carolina. Available in Traditional and Fiery. I chose their Fiery version…As hot as a Charleston summer, this simple blend of freshly shredded cheddar mixed with pimentos, their signature spices, and a secret fiery addition to Callie's, famous pimento cheese.

Pawleys Island – Pawleys Island, South Carolina. Their “Palmetto Pimento Cheese” is available in three flavors: Traditional, with Jalapenos, and Pepper Jack. This pimento cheese was born in the Lowcountry of South Carolina. Palmetto Cheese is an authentic, southern style pimento cheese spread made the old-fashioned way with the perfect texture and quality ingredients. Palmetto Cheese was first introduced in local market outlets in Pawleys Island and Georgetown, SC in 2006.

Queen Charlotte’s – Charlotte, North Carolina. Available in four varieties: Original “Royale”, Jalapeno, Blue Cheese, and Bacon. Due to its uniqueness, I chose their Blue Cheese Pimento. It took nearly a decade of developing his version of Pimento Cheese for native Charlottean, John Morgan. He used his time, creativity, and his winnings from appearing on Jeopardy.

Red Clay Gourmet – Salem, North Carolina. Available in three flavors: Classic Sharp Cheddar, Flame Roasted Jalapeño, Sriracha, and Hickory Smoked Cheese. I chose the Hickory Smoked Cheddar. Red Clay takes a modern twist on a Southern tradition by making it by hand in small batches, using award-winning rBGH/RBST-Free cheeses from small, sustainable dairies, and using cage-free egg, all-natural mayonnaise.

From this point, my sister, my brother-in-law, and I sat around to talk about the differences, what we grew up on, and how we enjoyed it.

From these humble beginnings, Pimento cheese continues as a comfort food for some, an upscale cheese spread for others. Food has a way of uniting friends and family and connecting with great memories.

I will cherish my time with my sister and her husband around this table and look forward to our next adventure in October.

Until then,

Your Cheese Traveler,

Trevor