Non-cheese lovers would argue it does not, so this is for those who love cheese or are unaware of its ability to make things taste better.
Cheese is considered nature’s flavor enhancer. The fat and salt (added as preservative) give it umami or savoriness. Richard Cornish, in an article on Good Food, wrote, “When we eat meat or other foods high in amino acid such as mushroom, tomato, asparagus, or cheese, they taste extra good.” It’s like salt but better.
Some even compare cheese to bacon, “it improves almost anything,” they say. No wonder there’s an added premium to meals with cheese: cheeseburger, cheese fries, baked oysters with cheese, dynamite lumpia with cheese, and, yes, lumpia with cheese.
It is also the not-so-secret ingredient of many dishes, such as caldereta.
When melted and added to hot meals, cheese can truly make some magic. The smoothness, gooeyness, and creaminess of melted cheese is a treat for many. Researchers say it is about the mouthfeel, the texture of melted cheese offers a unique source of pleasure.
One of the most popular melting cheese brands on the market is Eden Cheese’s Melt Sarap. It offers the creaminess and cheesiness of Eden (sharp but with the right balance of saltiness and creaminess almost similar to white American cheese) with the added melt-in-your-mouth goodness suitable for dishes like baked macaroni, cheesy lasagna, and grilled cheese sandwich.
The best way to enjoy the oozing Eden Melt Sarap is by baking the dishes at 220-230 degrees Celsius or 430-450 degrees Fahrenheit in a conventional oven in about 2.5 to 3 minutes.
To encourage home cooks to ‘flex’ their meals made with cheese, Eden Melt Sarap holds the Melt Sarap Namnamin Challenge that is giving away gift certificates and a feature on the brand’s Facebook page to winning recipes.
The brand also offers recipes using the melting cheese at cheeseanything.com. These are some of the easy-to-do dishes to make at home:
RECIPES
Cheesy Baked Mussels
Ingredients:
12 pcs. mussels (tahong)
50g Eden Melt Sarap, grated
50g bacon bits, cooked
15g chopped garlic
parsley (optional)
Procedure:
1. Place half shelled mussels in a baking tray, top with garlic and Eden Melt Sarap.
2. Bake in the oven for 25-30 minutes until brown. Transfer to a plate and garnish with parsley.
Grilled Cheese with Bacon
Ingredients:
2 slices bread
2 slices Eden Melt Sarap
3 pcs. bacon, fried
1 tbsp. butter
Procedure:
1. Make the sandwich with bacon and cheese.
2. In a pan, heat butter until melted. Grill the sandwich in the pan until golden brown.
Cheesy Pizza
Ingredients:
1 pc. ready-made pizza dough
½ cup ground pork
3 tbsp. chopped onions
½ red bell pepper, sliced
9 pcs. olives, sliced
2 tbsp. tomato sauce
2 cups shredded Eden Melt Sarap
1 tsp. Italian seasoning
Procedure:
1. In a pan, sauté ground pork with Italian seasoning. Set aside.
2. Spread the tomato sauce evenly on the pizza dough and top with shredded cheese, ground pork, onion, bell pepper, and olives.
3. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit and bake for 10-15 minutes or until the cheese has melted and the sides of the pizza are crisp and golden brown.