Pimento Cheese with Benne Crackers

The story

Pimento cheese emerged in the United States in the early twentieth century, when packaged cream cheese and imported Spanish pimientos became widely available. Southern cooks later made the mixture their own with grated cheddar, mayonnaise and regional seasonings. Benne, an African sesame variety carried to the Lowcountry by enslaved West Africans, gives the crackers a much older and deeper regional story. The spread is loved for its combination of sharp cheese, sweet pepper and creamy richness. Hand-grated cheddar gives better texture than a completely smooth processed mixture, while benne crackers add toasted nuttiness and a brittle snap. The pairing joins two distinctive strands of Southern food history. Pimento cheese appears at picnics, church suppers, cocktail parties and in sandwiches throughout the South. It is notably served in sandwiches at the Masters Tournament in Georgia. Benne remains especially connected to Gullah Geechee and Lowcountry cooking, where its flavour is being actively preserved and celebrated.

Ingredients

• Dairy
• 50 gram cream cheese
• 40 gram mayonnaise
• Main
• 125 gram sharp cheddargrated
• Other
• as needed black pepper
• as needed Benne crackers
• Seasoning
• 0.5 teaspoon hot sauce
• 0.25 teaspoon cayenne
• Vegetables
• 40 gram diced pimentos

Method

1. Grate and soften

   Grate the cheddar finely and let the cream cheese soften to room temperature.

   Look for: The cheeses should mix smoothly without lumps. Tip: Sharp cheddar gives the spread its proper punch. Avoid: Do not use pre-grated cheese if possible; it can feel dry.

2. Mix the spread

   Beat cheddar, cream cheese, mayonnaise, pimentos and seasoning until creamy but still textured.

   Look for: The spread should hold on a spoon but remain soft. Tip: Add a little pimento juice if it needs loosening. Avoid: Do not blend completely smooth; pimento cheese should have character.

3. Chill and serve

   Chill for 20 minutes, then serve with benne crackers or vegetables.

   Look for: The spread should firm slightly and taste more rounded. Tip: Benne crackers nod to Southern sesame traditions. Avoid: Do not serve fridge-cold; let it soften for 5 minutes first.