What are the worst sounds in the world?
Well according to the Smithsonian Magazine article I stumbled upon, the worst sounds in the world are as follows…
Knife on a bottle
A fork on a glass
Chalk on a blackboard
A ruler on a bottle
Nails on a blackboard
A female scream
An Anglegrinder
Squealing brakes on a bicycle
A baby crying
An electric drill
Now… I don’t know about you, but I feel like some of the worst sounds in the world did not make it to this list. I mean come on… A knife on a bottle?!? I don’t even know if I have ever heard that sound. And as someone who bikes A LOT, I wouldn’t even say that squeaky breaks even bother me other than the fact that it means I should get my bike tuned up.
No. For me, the worst sound on earth is the sound of a fork scraping someone’s teeth while they eat. That sound makes me want to vomit, it makes my teeth ache, and immediately makes me lose my appetite.
But as far as this episode of Quest for the Best goes… I would also put the sound of Mac-n-Cheese being stirred in my top 10.
That’s right folks. Today we have stirred up multiple boxes and microwave dinners of Mac-n-Cheese.
Which brands of Mac-n-Cheese are we trying today?
Kraft Mac-N-Cheese
Annie’s Macaroni and Cheese
Velveeta Shells and Cheese
Amy’s Frozen Macaroni and Cheese
Stouffer’s Frozen Macaroni and Cheese
Who is on this glorious Mac-n-Cheese Quest?
Hannah, mac-n-cheese connoisseur
Kris, enjoyer of mac-n-cheese
Matt, the guy who is alright with mac-n-cheese
Amy, hater of cheese
Brie - Quest for the Best ghost
And of course, all of our subscribers (we now have 6! Thank you!) and those who just stumbled upon the show. Thanks for joining us today.
The History of Mac-n-Cheese
First of all, to understand Macaroni and cheese, you need to understand cheese. Cheese making was originally about survival for a farm family or community. They would take a very perishable protein and transform it into something less perishable. The first cheese factory in the U.S. was built in 1851. Before that, cheese was made on farms - and if the farm was prosperous, they usually had a cheese maid.
Processed cheese, which was invented 107 years ago in Switzerland, is cheese that is emulsified and cooked. This process will no longer alter with age. Think Velveeta, canned cheese, or the powders.
Fun fact - Velveeta was invented in 1918 and now this 22 ingredient food is no longer regulated as cheese.
So where did Macaroni and cheese get its beginnings? Well, the exact origin of it is unknown, though the earliest known recorded recipe was from 1769. Mac and cheese made its way into the United States courtesy of Thomas Jefferson.
Kraft foods introduced its boxed mac-n-cheese in 1937 during the Great Depression. It could serve four people for 19 cents, and Kraft sold 8 million boxes in a year.
Worldwide mac and cheese consumption is 7 million boxes a week.
The Results
**SPOILER ALERT!**
Listen to the episode first if you do not want the results revealed to you yet!
5th Place: Velveeta Shells and Cheese
Amy: 2
Hannah: 3
Kris : 2
Matt: 4
4th Place: Kraft Mac-n-Cheese
Amy: 4
Hannah: 4
Kris: 3
Matt: 3
3rd Place: Annie’s Macaroni and Cheese
Amy: 4
Hannah: 6
Kris: 5
Matt: 5
2nd Place: Stouffer’s Frozen Macaroni and Cheese
Amy: 5
Hannah: 7
Kris: 7
Matt: 5
1st: Amy’s Frozen Macaroni and Cheese
Amy: 7
Hannah: 8
Kris: 6
Matt: 7
There you have it. Amy’s Frozen Macaroni and Cheese gets the Quest for the Best seal of approval. For all your mac-n-cheese needs, check out their website.
https://www.amys.com/our-foods/macaroni-cheese
Thank you for checking out this week’s quest. Let us know what you thought. Have you tried all of these? Which was your favorite? We would love to hear your rating.
Also, do you have any foods you would love to get the coveted seal of approval? Let us know in the comments what you want to hear next.
And of course, remember to subscribe to hear the latest episodes. Additionally, paid subscribers will have access to monthly content where we put two restaurants head to head in a Quest for the Best battle. You definitely do not want to miss out.
Show Notes
https://www.smithsonianmag.com/arts-culture/marvelous-macaroni-and-cheese-30954740/#:~:text=The%20exact%20origin%20of%20macaroni,being%20scribbled%20down%20in%201769.
https://www.smithsonianmag.com/science-nature/what-is-the-most-annoying-sound-in-the-world-75317235/
https://www.smithsonianmag.com/history/brief-history-americas-appetite-for-macaroni-cheese-180969185/
The Blue Box Blues