Grilled Cheese Sandwich Month

Who knew?

The whole month of April is dedicated to the Grilled Cheese Sandwich!

Food historians have very little to say about this food product except; "its been around for a long time". Daa......

There is evidence that early Romans would melt cheese over a bread piece but since the sandwich was not yet invented (according to a Court Hearing in Boston some time ago) this would hardly fit the bill as a sandwich. Of course everyone knows the "official" beginnings of the sandwich by John Montagu.

John Montagu who at the age of ten, became the 4th Earl of Sandwich in 1729. During his life time he held various military and political offices including, Postmaster General, First Lord of the Admiralty and Secretary of State for the Northern Department. It is said that he had once ordered his valet to bring to him some meat tucked between two pieces of bread. Over a period of time others began asking for "the same as Sandwich!" Lord Sandwich was very fond of ordering this form of food because it allowed him to continue playing Cribbage while eating and not getting his card greasy from the meat.

So we know that cheese has been around before recorded history and have a validated guess as to the sandwich actually being given a name, but what of the "Grilled Cheese Sandwich"?

The true cheese for a grilled cheese sandwich actually is not a cheese at all. American cheese is classified as processed cheese and can not be called 'cheese'. So what you are actually ordering at your favorite diner is not a grilled cheese sandwich but actually a grilled processed cheese John Montagu.