May is a month that delivers many good things to people. It is the month when flowers begin to grow, and it’s a time during which many exciting holidays can be found, such as Cinco de Mayo, Mother’s Day, and Pizza Party Day. What few people realize, however, is that this month is also American Cheese Month.

Yes, you’ve read that correctly. This entire month is dedicated to cheese that was first developed in the 1910s and is made from a blend of cheddar and Colby cheeses. It is a cheese with a low melting point, a mild flavor, and a medium-firm consistency. In other words, the perfect cheese to celebrate.

The History of American Cheese Month

American Cheese Month was first created in 2011 by the American Cheese Society. However, for the first few years, it was celebrated during the month of October. This is why some older calendar websites will still list October for this event. October was swapped out for May in 2019 to help support cheese producers. It has been observed during that month ever since.

Facts About American Cheese

Want some gooey American cheese facts? If you do, then you’ve come to the right place because we have oodles of facts on this particular type of cheese. We’ve even listed some of these facts below.

• Kraft American Singles contain less than 51% cheese, so they can only be labeled as processed cheese food.
• In 1915, Kraft sold American cheese in food tins.
• During the 1980s, “government cheese” was distributed through Temporary Emergency Food Assistance programs, primarily due to a dairy surplus.
• In 2019, Americans purchased over $2.7 billion worth of American cheese.

Observing American Cheese Month

During this month, everyone is encouraged to enjoy American cheese. Use it on your burgers, on your nachos, and on any dish that requires cheese. That’s the simplest way to observe this month.

For those looking for a more nuanced way to observe it, we have one recommendation: don’t just limit yourself to American cheese. Also, consider cheeses from American cheese manufacturers.

Even though American cheese is often the cheese talked about when people think of the U.S., the truth is that American cheese manufacturers are making some of the best cheeses in the world. Name a cheese, and it’s probably being manufactured somewhere in the U.S. All a person has to do is a little bit of digging.