Cheez-It
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Cheez-It crackers are a snack food manufactured by the Kellogg Company. They are roughly 26 by 24 mm (1.0 by 0.95 inch) crackers made with wheat flour, vegetable oil, sharp yellow cheese, salt, and spices. There are a variety of related Cheez-It products, including white cheddar, parmesan and garlic, reduced fat, and a larger cracker more suitable for garnishing or dipping. They are similar to Kraft Cheese Nips, and each product is often held in disfavor by fans of the other.
The Sunshine Biscuit Company, founded in 1902 as the Loose-Wiles Biscuit Company, first introduced these crackers in 1921. The Keebler Company acquired Sunshine in 1996, and Keebler was in turn acquired by Kellogg in 2001. Cheez-It crackers are still sold under the Sunshine label.
Cheez-It crackers have a hole in the middle to allow them to bake more evenly. As of August 2006, the current advertising slogan is "Get your own box", which is found on the back of most boxes. One side also contains the so-called "Anatomy of a Cheez-It." The small Cheez-It bags make the snack a popular item in vending machines.
[edit] Ingredients
Cheez-It are made of:
- Enriched flour (wheat flour, niacin, reduced iron, thiamin mononitrate[vitamin B1], riboflavin[vitamin B2], folic acid)
- vegetable oil (cottonseed, palm, sunflower and/or partially hydrogonated soybean oil with TBHQ for freshness)
- skim milk cheese (skim milk, whey protein, cheese cultures, salt, enzymes, annatto extract [color])
- salt
- yeast
- paprika oleoresin (color)
The hole in the middle of the cheez it is there because it allows the cheez it to cook and dry more evenly.
[edit] References in Popular Culture
- In the Adult Swim religious comedy show, Moral Orel, several characters are seen eating a box of cheese crackers called "Jeez-Its", which is a parody combining Cheez-Its and Jesus.
- The comedian Dane Cook refers to a communion wafer as a "Jeez-It" during his routine about going to mass.
- In American Dad, the alien Roger is very fond of Cheez-Its which Francine forgot to buy, instead she bought Cheese Nips leading Roger to say, "Why have a list if you're not gonna follow it" and then throwing the box down and walking on them.
- In the animated comedy Futurama, Bender yells "Cheese it!" when he beats a hasty retreat.
- A necklace made of Cheez-Its and dental floss is called a "Danker". [citation needed]
