Vegan cheese?

[Kass]

Hello, anyone here have any good recipes for vegan cheese? Or a good brand of vegan cheese? Daiya appeals to me, because of the ingredient list not being as questionable as some of those other brands out there, not to mention compared to the others, it actually looks kinda tasty....
However, I really prefer to make my own vegan cheese, just so I know exactly what I am eating, and what all is in it.
That's why I typically make my own "meats" as well, too.....
Well any ideas are very helpful. Thanks!

 

[KLS52]

Here's a post with links to some interesting cheese recipes:
14 Vegan Cheeses That Will Make You Forget About The Real Thing | Vegetarian and Vegan Forums @ Veggie Views

 

[Kass]

thank you have you ever tried any of those?

 

[KLS52]

No, sorry...can't say that I have. I am somewhat lacking in the ambition department.

Most of them do sound really good, though.

 

[Kass]

i just made baked almond feta. Two different kinds..and i am very pleased with the results!!!

 

[RascalsMom]

I've never been able to make a cheese I like. I do buy daiya wedges when they are on sale.

 

[Kass]

i heard that the wedges taste different than the shreds. i never tried either because it's so hard to find here, but i'm curious

 

[RascalsMom]

The wedges are 100000x better in my opinion

 

[KLS52]

I love Daiya. I've tried the shreds, slices and wedges. I feel like there's a slight difference between them. Each is good for different things.

 

[shyvas]

I love Daiya. I've tried the shreds, slices and wedges. I feel like there's a slight difference between them. Each is good for different things.

I also love Daiya and always buy their cheddar wedges and grated variety.

 

[prioritarian]

I'm a vegan cheese snob...#sorrynotsorry.

My favorites:

1. Kite Hill White Alder.
A camembert style almond-milk cheese with a white mold rind. This has recently improved and the almond cheese is now creamier and more flavorful than it was before. IMO, this cheese is nearing vegan cheese perfection.
2. Punk Rawk smoked and plain cashew cheese.
A spreadable goat-style cheese that can sometimes be a little funky but is still simply wonderful on bread or plopped into a tofu scramble.
3. Treeline hard cheeses
A tangy hard cashew cheese that has nutty mellow flavors and is not too salty. It's reminiscent of Dr. Cow (an honorable mention) but sharper and less gritty.
4. Miyoko's Kitchen Cheddar (smoked and aged)
Semi-soft cashew cheese with huge umami taste from miso. IMO, the closest a vegan cheese has come to replicating an aged *sharp* cheese. If the cheeses were a bit harder and less salty they would move up a few notches.

 

[Kass]

Honestly never heard of any of those...but those all sound amazing. I love sharp cheddar, but unfortunately have not found a good vegan variety. But now I know what to look for, thank you,

 

[flyingsnail]

I'm a vegan cheese snob...#sorrynotsorry.

My favorites:

1. Kite Hill White Alder.
A camembert style almond-milk cheese with a white mold rind. This has recently improved and the almond cheese is now creamier and more ......

I've never understood why they call these sorts of things "cheese", they are more or less nut butters. Not that it matters much...but they don't melt, etc like cheese so someone may be disappointed if they were expecting that. To me a lot of the soft cheeses, the dairy ones, either taste like foot or are pretty bland.....the nut "cheeses" are better I think. I think more people, non-vegan people, would eat them if they were more widely available.

 

[prioritarian]

I've never understood why they call these sorts of things "cheese", they are more or less nut butters. Not that it matters much...but they don't melt, etc like cheese so someone may be disappointed if they were expecting that. To me a lot of the soft cheeses, the dairy ones, either taste like foot or are pretty bland.....the nut "cheeses" are better I think. I think more people, non-vegan people, would eat them if they were more widely available.

soy milk yogurt is real yogurt so i don't see why nut/legume cheese cannot be be real cheese.
especially since many artisan vegan cheeses are made in the same manner as dairy cheeses: coagulation/fermentation, straining of curds, flavoring/shaping, and aging/secondary fermentation.

and, imo, nut- and legume-based cheese keeps on getting better. for example, i just purchased some field roast chao cheese slices and these are the first "vegan slices" that to me do not detract from a sammich.

 

[Kass]

soy milk yogurt is real yogurt so i don't see why nut/legume cheese cannot be be real cheese.
especially since many artisan vegan cheeses are made in the same manner as dairy cheeses: coagulation/fermentation, straining of curds, flavoring/shaping, and aging/secondary fermentation.

and, imo, nut- and legume-based cheese keeps on getting better. for example, i just purchased some field roast chao cheese slices and these are the first "vegan slices" that to me do not detract from a sammich.

Where i am at, we don't have any of that good nut cheese. Cant find it anywhere...that's too bad. Some of the kinds you were describing sound fantastic.

 

[flyingsnail]

soy milk yogurt is real yogurt so i don't see why nut/legume cheese cannot be be real cheese.

This is just a semantic issue. Cheese, as the word is currently used, refers to milk derived products. The definition could change to include flavored nut butters and other such things as well but this would make them "real cheese" in definition only.....they would still be distinct products from the milk derived products known as "cheese".

for example, i just purchased some field roast chao cheese slices and these are the first "vegan slices" that to me do not detract from a sammich.

Never tried them....they are primarily coconut oil and have little nutritional value so not something I would eat to begin with. I wish manufactures would focus on creating cheese substitutes that better matched the nutritional value of cheese....which is a pretty nutritious food. Flavored nut butters, I think, are much better in this regard.

 

[ledboots]

This is just a semantic issue. Cheese, as the word is currently used, refers to milk derived products. The definition could change to include flavored nut butters and other such things as well but this would make them "real cheese" in definition only.....they would still be distinct products from the milk derived products known as "cheese".


Never tried them....they are primarily coconut oil and have little nutritional value so not something I would eat to begin with. I wish manufactures would focus on creating cheese substitutes that better matched the nutritional value of cheese....which is a pretty nutritious food. Flavored nut butters, I think, are much better in this regard.

For me and my family, having a bit of fake cheese on the food is a once in a while flavoring, no one is looking for great nutritional value.

I can understand it being baffling to someone who eats dairy, as I used to be a lacto ovo vegetarian and would not have thought of eating vegan cheeses. In fact, I was vegan for years before I tried a cruelty-free cheese that I liked.

 

[Blobbenstein]

I bought some vegan cheese in around 1999, and it was pretty much like plasticine, with about as much flavour.

I eat it these days quite a lot, so the nutrition does bother me.

 

[prioritarian]

Never tried them....they are primarily coconut oil and have little nutritional value so not something I would eat to begin with.

my diet is exceedingly nutrient-rich and my ~3000 calorie a day intake leaves plenty of room for a bit of vegan cheese (or a glass or two of vino -- truly empty calories). obviously vegan cheese should not be a major source of caloric intake but, imo, it's perfectly acceptable as a treat or flavoring agent in a well-planned diet.

 

[prioritarian]

Where i am at, we don't have any of that good nut cheese. Cant find it anywhere...that's too bad. Some of the kinds you were describing sound fantastic.

there is so much interest (and even venture capital funding) in this new wave of veg-cheese (and veg-meat/egg) products that i think it's just a matter of time before more of them are widely distributed (e.g. international). some of these companies even claim that omnivores/flexitarians make up the majority of their customers!