What is the origin of cheese dip?
I want to know where cheese dip was invented. Based on this article it was invented in Arkansas.
This documentary goes into more detail about it being from Mexico Chiquito, a restaurant in Arkansas.
Best Answer
If we're going to define "cheese dip" as "some substance made from cheese for the purpose of dipping other food in" - which seems like the only rational definition given no other context - then I'd have to pinpoint its origin as being fondue.
According to Wikipedia, the earliest known recipe for fondue comes from the Swiss cookbook, Kochbuch von Anna Margaretha Gessnerin, ein gebohrne Kittin, first published in 1699.
That predates the Arkansas claim of 1935 by at least a few centuries, if we assume that Wikipedia does indeed list the earliest source.
There's also Queso Chihuahua which was supposedly brought to Mexico by the Mennonites, which would place its origin in Mexico sometime in the 1920s - assuming that the Mennonites themselves did not simply adapt the recipe from something known even earlier.
I'd have to say that the Arkansas tourism board seems to be trying to pull a fast one on us, laying claim to this "invention". Maybe they're defining cheese dip as the specific kind of cheese dip they came up with, which would of course be a tautology.
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Quick Answer about "What is the origin of cheese dip?"
According to Nick Rogers, who has researched the history of cheese dip, the dish was invented by Blackie Donnely, the original owner of Mexico Chiquito restaurants. The Mexico Chiquito chain, which now has multiple locations in central Arkansas, was opened by Donnely and his wife in North Little Rock in 1935.When was cheese dip invented?
The earliest evidence of cheese dip-making in the archaeological record dates back to 5,500 BCE. There is evidence that the Greeks heated or melted cheese thousands of years ago. Swiss fondue, raclette, and melted cheese dishes litter human history.Is queso dip actually Mexican?
Homemade Queso Dip is the quintessential Mexican side dish to serve on top of tacos, burrito bowls, tamales, taquitos, enchiladas, and to smother over other classic Mexican dishes.Why is Arkansas known for cheese dip?
Arkansas TourismRogers discovered the original landmark Mexico Chiquito restaurant, though it was named Little Mexico at the time, opened in Hot Springs in 1935 and introduced cheese dip. This predates Rotel by at least 10 years.Did queso start in Arkansas?
According to Fain, who spent the last few years researching her forthcoming cookbook Queso, Arkansas's claim to the dip's invention isn't exactly legitimate. \u201cI wanted to find out what the true history was, and found that the man who opened the restaurant in Arkansas was actually a Texan,\u201d she says.Sources: Stack Exchange - This article follows the attribution requirements of Stack Exchange and is licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0.
Images: Mizzu Cho, Anthony Leong, ROMAN ODINTSOV, Rachel Claire