Social:Cheese pull
Cheese pulls are the stretching of melted cheese. They are considered to appear appetizing and have been featured in food advertisements and social media.[1][2][3]
Background
A number of studies have been conducted to determine how stretchy and thick various cheese varieties are at various temperatures.[4][5][6] Cheddar and mozzarella have been described as two of the best cheeses for cheese pulls.[6] Various brands and restaurants have been compared by the perceived quality of their cheese pulls.[7][8] The food additive sodium citrate has been suggested as a method for making melted cheese stretchier.[9]
Various organizations have tracked world records for the longest measured cheese pull. One such record was recorded by RecordSetter in 2016, when Carlo Alberto Orecchia achieved a 41.5 inches (105 cm) cheese pull with a pizza slice.[6] In 2023, the Doritos corporation used a helicopter to achieve a 49 feet (15 m)-cheese pull; the stunt involved a 265 pounds (120 kg) blend of cheddar and mozzarella and a 4 feet (1.2 m)-wide nacho.[10]
Social media
A 2023 article claimed that the hashtag "#cheesepull" had hundreds of thousands of uses across various social media platforms.[6] A number of journalists have criticized the concept as unappetizing or misleading about the taste or quality of the dish.[1][2]
Social media "cheese pulls" have been credited in reviving the popularity of restaurant chains such as Raising Cane's, Olive Garden, The Cheesecake Factory, and Chili's.[11] In 2024, Chili's "Triple Dipper" appetizer, specifically the large fried mozzarella stick that's included, made up 10% of restaurant sales. The sales increased to 15% in 2025, according to NPR, and was credited fully to popularity of videos shared on social media by Chili's Chief Marketing Officer.[11] The chain released merchandise and a Halloween costume inspired by the trend.[12]
In 2025, Jimmy John's used the term while marketing their pizza sandwiches with the phrase, "handheld, toasted and with cheese pulls you can take on the go."[13]
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 Bryan, Chloe (2019-07-23). "It's time to retire the cheese pull" (in en). https://mashable.com/article/cheese-pulls-have-gone-too-far-instagram.
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 Makalintal, Bettina (2019-01-09). "Actually, Cheese Pulls Are a Scam" (in en-US). https://www.vice.com/en/article/actually-cheese-pulls-are-a-scam/.
- ↑ "No, Pizza Chains Are Not Using Glue To Make Cheese Pulls Look Stretchier" (in en-US). 2019-10-11. https://www.delish.com/food-news/a29388968/pizza-commercial-filming-secrets-tweet/.
- ↑ Fife, R. L.; McMahon, D. J.; Oberg, C. J. (2002-12-01). "Test for Measuring the Stretchability of Melted Cheese1". Journal of Dairy Science 85 (12): 3539–3545. doi:10.3168/jds.S0022-0302(02)74444-5. ISSN 0022-0302. PMID 12512629. https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0022030202744445.
- ↑ Venugopal, V.; and Muthukumarappan, K. (2003-01-03). "Rheological Properties of Cheddar Cheese During Heating and Cooling". International Journal of Food Properties 6 (1): 99–114. doi:10.1081/JFP-120016627. ISSN 1094-2912. https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1081/JFP-120016627.
- ↑ 6.0 6.1 6.2 6.3 Neal, Alli (2023-08-03). "How To Get A Satisfyingly Gooey Cheese Pull Every Time" (in en-US). https://www.thedailymeal.com/1354705/get-satisfying-gooey-cheese-pull-timing/.
- ↑ Lin, Su-Jit. "We tried 10 brands of frozen mozzarella sticks to find the best ones" (in en-US). https://www.businessinsider.com/best-brand-of-frozen-mozzarella-sticks-from-grocery-store-review-photos#we-found-10-different-sticks-and-decided-to-taste-them-blind-to-keep-things-fair-1.
- ↑ VanDooijeweert, Kara. "We respect the cheese pull. You should, too. Here are go-to spots in North Jersey" (in en-US). https://www.northjersey.com/story/entertainment/dining/2024/11/21/nj-restaurant-cheesey-dishes-north-jersey/75160653007/.
- ↑ Renee, Nika (2024-12-23). "Here's How A Cheese Pull Works" (in en-US). https://www.thetakeout.com/1740058/cheese-pull-science-explained/.
- ↑ Cost, Ben (2023-09-15). "World's highest cheese-pull as chopper lifts nacho 49 feet" (in en-US). https://nypost.com/2023/09/15/worlds-highest-cheese-pull-as-chopper-lifts-nacho-49-feet/.
- ↑ 11.0 11.1 Diaz, Jaclyn (2025-12-17). "Is the viral cheese pull saving chain restaurants?" (in en). NPR. https://www.npr.org/2025/12/17/nx-s1-5598332/chain-restaurants-viral-cheese-pull-social-media.
- ↑ "How Chili’s fried mozzarella achieved viral fame with its glorious cheese-pulls" (in en-US). 2024-12-18. https://www.yahoo.com/lifestyle/chili-fried-mozzarella-achieved-viral-095236781.html.
- ↑ Cobe, Patricia (December 18, 2025). "The food and drink trends that defined 2025" (in en). https://restaurantbusinessonline.com/food/food-drink-trends-defined-2025.
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