Pimento cheese began as pimiento cheese, but somewhere along the way the second “i” disappeared, and no one really knows why. Some people call it pimento and cheese, others call it menta cheese, but no matter the pronunciation, each describes an interesting dish that remains a cultural representation of the American South, despite its humble beginnings. (Myers 226). 

The main ingredients in pimento cheese are sharp cheddar cheese, black pepper, pimientos, and mayonnaise. A recipe from the Southern Foodways Alliance suggests that the cheese be grated into a bowl, and pepper added until it is clearly visible. Pimientos, red peppers native to Spain, are added to the mixture, and then mayonnaise is added liberally until a proper proportion is reached (Edelstein). There are, of course, many different additions. Some people include garlic, others salt even though the cheese is usually salty by itself, Worcestershire sauce, bacon, jalapeños, and even nuts (Myers 226). Kathleen Purvis of the Charlotte Observer notes that the use of roasted red peppers is acceptable if pimentos are not readily available. However, she warns against the use of Miracle Whip or anything that makes the dish crunchy. She also urges that processed cheese never be used (Purvis).

Pimento cheese originated in the early twentieth century as a food that only the rich could afford. Pimientos, the peppers used in the dish, were grown in Spain and thus were expensive in the United States. Cheese was also very expensive, so pimento cheese was originally a finger food served at formal events (Wallace). The pimento cheese during this time was served on soft white bread, with the crusts cut off. The sandwiches were usually small, and served at events such as tea parties or weddings (Wallace).

However, the isolation of pimento cheese changed in 1915, when Kraft Foods became a staple of American culture. The price of cheese dropped considerably, making it something anyone could afford. People began growing pimientos, incorporating them into Southern culture. Georgia and North Carolina began pimiento processing plants, so pimento cheese became an inexpensive, easy food that anyone could eat. The dish soon became immensely popular in the Piedmont regions of the Carolinas, and it continued to spread in popularity (Wallace).

Due to the ease and simplicity of preparing pimento cheese, it became a common snack, often eaten on crackers or as a sandwich. Pimento cheese usually stays fresh for several days, due to modern day refrigeration (“Classic”). It increasingly became part of the working man’s lunch as the South industrialized. For example, textile mill workers ate pimento cheese on bread because it was relatively fast and easy to eat (Wallace). Women often quick and easy foods such as pimento cheese from carts, called “dope carts,” to the hungry factory workers (Wallace). One of these women was Eugenia Duke, the creator of Duke’s Mayonnaise (Gervin).

Pimento cheese started to sell in groceries and supermarkets in the 1940s, and it developed a negative reputation (Wallace). To non-Southerners who have only known jarred pimento cheese, it is a cheap, processed, unappetizing invention. Reynolds Price remarks that “most of them [are] made apparently from congealed insecticides” (154). Restaurant owner Ari Weinzweig tells the story of his embarrassment when he derogatorily referenced pimento cheese at a Southern Foodways Alliance conference, astonishing people in the room. Of course, he soon learned that pimento cheese made from fresh, wholesome ingredients is worthy of every bit of praise that it receives (Weinzweig). One excellent example is Palmetto Cheese which is made in Pawley’s Island, South Carolina and sells in groceries throughout the Southeast.

Pimento cheese has long been a part of Southern culture, and is frequently used to bring a novel spin to nontraditional foods (Wallace). For example, it is used as a dip for vegetables and even fruits like apples. Some people add it to their baked potatoes, hamburgers, or hotdogs (Myers 226). Sometimes it is heated and used as a dip. It is even sometimes added to grits (Purvis).

There are many famous adaptations of pimento cheese. The Varsity, a fast food restaurant based out of Atlanta, Georgia, sells pimento cheese sandwiches, affectionately termed “PC.” At the annual Master’s Tournament in Augusta, Georgia, pimento cheese sandwiches are a specialty, and they are sold for less than two dollars (“Classic”). The pimento burger, which is pimento cheese piled atop a hamburger, originated in Columbia, South Carolina. A restaurant owner, Jacob Reynolds, created a dish that, along with the standard burger, combined the freshness of pimento cheese and the warmth of chili. The pimento burger became a popular item throughout Columbia, and spread in popularity throughout the South. No one, however, makes it with exactly the same flair that the original South Carolinians do (Moss).

Bon Appetit, a magazine that glorifies the love of food, named 2011 “The Year of Pimento Cheese” (Purvis). Pimento cheese has become more than just sandwich filler or a dip. Instead, it has become a food item that can be incorporated into virtually anything – even sushi (Wallace). Talented and creative chefs have found ways to make this comfort food more sophisticated. Today, more than ever, pimento cheese has become part of a new wave of culinary style, reflecting an ability to adapt no matter the standards of the day (Purvis).

Lexicographer: Colleen Closson, Mercer University


Works Cited

"Classic Pimento Cheese." In a Southern Kitchen (2011). Web. 05 Feb. 2013. <http://inasouthernkitchen.com/2011/04/classic-pimento-cheese/#.URR5KqXs6zF>.

Edelstein, Beth. Pimento Cheese Invitational. Southern Foodways Alliance, 2003. Web. 05 Feb. 2013. <http://southernfoodways.org/cookbook/pimento_cheese_invitational.html>.

Gervin, Cari W. "An Ode to Pimento Cheese." Metro Pulse. 14 Dec. 2011. Web. 05 Feb. 2013. <http://www.metropulse.com/news/2011/dec/14/ode-pimento-cheese/>.

Moss, Robert. "A Proper Pimento Burger." Garden & Gun. 14 Feb. 2013. Web. 15 Feb. 2013. <http://gardenandgun.com/blog/proper-pimento-burger>.

Myers, Kendra. The New Encyclopedia of Southern Culture. Ed. Charles R. Wilson. Vol. 7. University of North Carolina, 2007. Print.

"Pimento Cheese: The Greatest Culinary Gift from the South?" Huffington Post. 27 Jan. 2012. Web. 05 Feb. 2013. <http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/01/27/pimento-cheese_n_1237154.html>.

Price, Reynolds. The Great American Writers Cookbook. Ed. Dean F. Wells. Oxford, MS: Yoknapatawha, 1981. Print.

Purvis, Kathleen. "The Spread of Pimento Cheese." Charlotte Observer. 13 July 2011. Web. 28 Jan. 2013. <http://www.charlotteobserver.com/2011/07/12/2449503/the-spread-of-pimento-cheese.html>.

Wallace, Emily. "A Brief History of Pimento Cheese." Indy Week. 22 June 2011. Web. 28 Jan. 2013. <http://www.indyweek.com/indyweek/a-brief-history-of-pimento-cheese/Content?oid=2567371>.

Weinzweig, Ari. "Pimento Cheese." Zingerman's Roadhouse. Web. 05 Feb. 2013. <http://www.zingermansroadhouse.com/2008/02/26/pimento-cheese/>.