Soldiers in the late 18th and early 19th centuries were accustomed to eating meals twice a day. Salted pork served with bread or plates of boiled beef were accompanied by portioned pours of either wine, rum, or gin. This basic menu changed when the first canning factory opened in 1811, and vacuum tin cans were manufactured to be filled with goods that wouldn’t spoil quickly. Once ingredients could be preserved, protected, and easily transported, deployed soldiers had a greater range of food options that might lift spirits and restore energy along battle lines.
Over a century later, Kraft Foods was the first to package processed cheese to send to World War I soldiers. The culinary invention paved the way for other cheese creations, like Velveeta, Cheez Whiz, and Snack Mate in the 1960s. Meanwhile, researchers at Washington State University tackled the issue of how to put actual cheese in a can. In the late 1930s, plastic had yet to become the go-to for packaging food items, and since wax containers could crack fairly easily, cheese was at a high risk of contamination.
Necessity driving culinary invention
The U.S. government issued a grant to encourage researchers to figure out how cheese might be better stored and transported in cans, and the driving motive was to get cheese to troops fighting in World War II. The American Can Company supported the research, and the result of the scientific effort — Cougar Gold — remains a cult favorite today. Norman Shirley Golding, the food science professor leading the charge, figured out how to create a culture to be used in cheese making that wouldn’t end up distorting or exploding cans once the cheese was sealed inside.
The unique invention means that cans of Cougar Gold cheese can be stored indefinitely in the fridge — and even mature in flavor with age. Once the can is opened, the cheese can be enjoyed similarly as other kinds of cheeses. Let’s face it: After a long day at work, whether on an actual battlefield or in the battlegrounds of an office, there’s nothing quite like sinking into a delicious cut of cheese.
