Aside from its creamy deliciousness, as well as the fact that it is a bagel’s best friend, many people do not know much about cream cheese. In fact, cream cheese has a very long history, being first thought of as early as 1583 in England. The concept did not leave the country until 1651, when the French discovered the concept. Even more surprising is the fact that the first recorded recipe of cream cheese did not come until 1754 in England.
U.S. cities such as Philadelphia and New York City did not gain their reputation for producing outstanding examples of cream cheese until the 1820s. At that time, distribution of cream cheese was typically in very small quantities because of the fact that cream cheese was most commonly made on family farms. It was not until 1873 that cream cheese was first mass produced, thanks to William A. Lawrence, a New Yorker. Just four years later, in 1877, he created the first brand of the cheese spread, and officially developed that name for it. The brand consisted of a silhouette of a cow, next to the words, “Neufchatel & Cream.”
Today, for it to be considered “cream cheese” according to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, it has to include at least 33% milk fat, have a moisture content that is greater than 55%, and reach a pH range between 4.4 and 4.9. This high fat content has not stopped cream cheese from being consumed by billions of people each day, who just cannot resist the creamy texture and deliciously incomparable taste. Cream cheese has exponentially developed over the years, to now include hundreds of different flavors, ranging from chocolate to jalapeño pepper.
Stop by the Bagel Bakery today to try our homemade, and skillfully crafted version of this great invention!