American and Cheddar reign supreme as America’s preferred cheesy burger accompaniment! Finlandia, master of deli cheese, polled 2,000 Americans (with the help of Learndipity Insights) on which lactic slice they “like” or “love” atop their burger. Cheddar is a close second place to American (65 percent compared to 66 percent), with Swiss (43 percent) lagging not too far behind. Other top contenders are Pepper Jack (40 percent), Provolone (31 percent), Colby (27 percent), Muenster (16 percent), Gouda (16 percent), Havarti (11 percent), and Gruyère (9 percent).
Finlandia also offers up several other tidbits concerning America’s burger needs. Did you know men enjoy Gouda twice as much as women do? 23 percent compared 11 percent to be exact! Western states enjoys cheddar a bit more than the rest of us, with 67 percent liking or loving the burger-cheese combo, and New York can take a bit more pepper jack heat (39 percent) than New Jersey (21 percent).
To whom we owe credit for the creation of the iconic cheeseburger is much debated. Perhaps Los Angeles’s O’Dell’s in 1928 or Kaelin’s Restaurant of Louisville, Ky., in 1934? The trademark for the name “cheeseburger” was claimed by Louis Ballast of the Humpty Dumpty Drive-In of Denver, Colo., back in 1935. No matter the origin, we thank our indulgently innovative forefathers for the artery clogging delicacy that is both a burden and a blessing.
While I often stay traditional with my burger just like my fellow warm-blooded Americans, I mourn the fact that team blue has so few converts! I can’t imagine something that could satisfy a burger craving more than a thick slab of Stilton and a few sautéed mushrooms. Now, that’s quintessential al fresco summer dining!
If you’re feeling inspired, try a few of culture’s mouthwatering cheeseburger recipes. Be sure to start with the salty sweet Sirloin Burger with Blue Cheese & Fig Preserves, or go all the way with the Stuffed Cheese Board Burger, pictured above!
Photo Credit: Finlandia
Kara Kaminski-Killiany
Kara is a Michigan cheesemaker, writer, and freelance behavioral economist who can’t get enough bloomy rind cheeses that perfectly melt just below the rind. She is happiest when tending goats, discovering unique cheese flavors from new sources, and decoding the puzzles of human behavior.
