pats23•1mo ago

Old head line cook told me to never trust pre-shredded cheese in a pro kitchen.

He said it's got wood pulp and anti-caking dust that messes up melt consistency. I ignored him for six months until my mac and cheese came out grainy during a busy Friday service. Anybody else been burned by the bagged stuff?

2 comments

2 Comments

james9951mo ago

Wait did he actually say wood pulp? Because i looked into this and its not wood pulp exactly but cellulose powder which is basically the same stuff, gets added to stop clumping. I learned the hard way with a big batch of alfredo for a banquet, used the bagged parm thinking it would save time, and it came out looking like warm cottage cheese with sad gritty bits floating around. The anti-caking agent just destroys any smooth melt you try to get, especially with fatty cheeses like cheddar or parm. Now i just buy blocks and shred them myself before service, it takes a few extra minutes but my sauce consistency is way more reliable.

ray_patel271mo ago

Yeah @james995 that's pretty much right, just tiny bits of wood basically.