How it got Made- Taste of the South Pimento Cheese

Before I moved to the south, I had never heard of Pimento Cheese, but it only took one bite of some homemade pimento on a white bread sandwich at a neighborhood potluck to make me a convert. you might be surprised by the origin of pimento cheese.

Pimento Cheese actually started up north in New York! In the 1880’s cream cheese was being produced mostly in New York, which was also a hub for importing in the US> Mild peppers, later known as “Pimientos” started coming into port and in short time began being incorporated alongside the cream cheese. Later on, a farmer in Georgia started growing the pimentos locally, and the dish found its flavor in the south.

Our recipe harkens back to the early days of pimento cheese, as its creamy texture comes from the addition of cream cheese. Our “Lowcountry” Pimento Cheese and Jalapeno Pimento Cheese varieties follow the build with a cream cheese and mayonnaise mix, while our Triple Cheddar Pimento Cheese is more of a traditional mayonnaise-based variety, but with a blend of premium cheddars.

Although pimento cheese might not have started in the south, it most certainly has become a staple and is popping up on menus, food trucks, and at family picnics around the country. For a product that coincidentally started up north, I can’t think of a more representative staple of the Taste of the South as Pimento Cheese.

-Matt