Provolone Vs American Vs Cheez Whiz: Which Is Best For Philly Cheesesteak?

The New York City pizza. The Chicago hot dog. The true Philadelphia cheesesteak. There are few foods as divisive as they are delicious as this great nation's regional specialties. Debates rage about where to find the finest in each category in a given city and what makes the best so great — but in the case of the Philadelphia cheesesteak, it's about which ingredients are key and which might incite local ire.

Takes, remakes and "elevated" efforts aside, a classic Philadelphia cheesesteak, the perfect "original steak sandwich," piles thinly-sliced beef onto a long sandwich roll (see also: hoagie roll) and tops it with the dairy half of its titular portmanteau. Ask any Birds-loving Philadelphian how they cloak their cheesesteak, and you'll find: While preferences for provolone, American cheese, or Cheez Whiz may vary, the latter — shortened just to "Whiz" citywide — is the most famous possible option. 

"Whiz," of course, enjoys its own status as another bit of culinary Americana (though it was originally built for a British audience). It's processed and an orangey-yellow color as bright as a Crayola sun. Not to be confused with Easy Cheese, its canned, spiritual kin, Cheez Whiz is smooth and spreadable, more likely to be found topping nachos than crackers, for example. While those other popular options — gentle provolone and that world-renowned American cheese — require heat to reach an ideal melty state, Cheez Whiz emerges pliant and nearly pourable from its container, ready to gild the protein below in velvety richness. 

Cheez Whiz is typically made, in part, from a combination of dairy components, spices and preservatives. American cheese is also processed, and can be made with those additives and a mix of cheddar and milk. Provolone, made from cow's milk, is milder and more pale than Whiz or American. 

The original cheesesteak, whose creation is typically credited to Pat Olivieri and dated back to 1930, is said not to have even included any cheese at all. "The cheese really came up in the '40s out at the Pat's on Ridge Avenue," Frank Olivieri, the great-nephew of Pat Olivieri and present owner of Pat's King of Steaks told Philadelphia Magazine in 2008. And should you need a historical justification to zag away from the Whiz, "The first cheese was a provolone cheese," Olivieri said.

While Cheez Whiz is the cheesesteak's modern icon, and provolone is its earliest accompaniment, American also has its merits. Like Whiz, American cheese is vibrantly hued, and it melts to a marvelously gooey finish. And although headlines occasionally arise about some public figure making an unpopular choice, your preference is unlikely to end up on TMZ. Just be sure you also know whether you want your cheesesteak "wit" or "witout."