Philadelphia Cream Cheese facts for kids
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Owner | Kraft Heinz, Mondelez International |
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Introduced | 1872 |
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Philadelphia Cream Cheese is a very popular brand of cream cheese. It is one of the most famous cream cheese brands around the world. This tasty spread was first made in 1872. Today, it is owned by two big food companies, Kraft Heinz and Mondelez International.
How Philadelphia Cream Cheese Started
Even though it's called "Philadelphia," this cream cheese was actually invented in New York State. It was not made in Philadelphia at all!
In 1872, a dairyman named William Lawrence lived in Chester, New York. He was trying to make a different kind of cheese called Neufchâtel. This cheese was popular in Europe. It was tangy and crumbled easily.
But William Lawrence made a mistake! He accidentally added too much cream to his recipe. This mistake created something new and wonderful. The cheese became much richer and easier to spread. This new creation was what we now call "cream cheese."
It took a few years for it to be called "Philadelphia Cream Cheese." In 1880, Lawrence teamed up with A.L. Reynolds. Reynolds was a cheese seller in New York. They wanted to sell more of this new cream cheese.
At that time, Philadelphia and the areas around it were known for having excellent dairy farms. People thought cheese from Philadelphia was very high quality and creamy. So, Lawrence and Reynolds decided to use the name "Philadelphia" for their foil-wrapped blocks of cream cheese. This made people think it was a fancy, high-quality product.
Over the years, the company changed hands a few times. The special "Philadelphia" name was eventually sold to the Phenix Cheese Company. In 1928, Phenix Cheese Company joined with Kraft. They formed a new company called Kraft-Phenix Cheese Company.
Since then, Philadelphia Cream Cheese has become a common food in many homes. You can also find it in many restaurants and bagel shops all over the world.
Philadelphia Cream Cheese Around the World
Philadelphia Cream Cheese is not just popular in the United States. Its fame has spread to many other countries. It is now the most popular cream cheese brand worldwide. People in many different places enjoy its creamy taste.