Where can you buy Vegan Cheese?
Posted by 4mygirls on Mar 27, 2011 · Member since Mar 2011 · 187 posts
Evening All,
I don't know if they make it but if the do where do you buy Vegan Cheese? What kind is your favorite? I'm a cheese addict and trying to give up cheese is my biggest hurdle :'(
Could you also tell me what kind of undairy milk is out there? I do not like Soy Milk, the smell and taste just turns my stomach :-\
But I am so determined to go Vegan ;)b
Thanks for all your help :)
I hear you girl- I'm a total cheese addict and it's been a huge struggle for me. I absolutely love Daiya cheese, although it can be pretty expensive. Some people have found better deals than I have, but at my local health food store it's $5 for a 2 cup bag.. It's still super worth it if you're determined to be vegan. I like the mozzarella variation on pizza, quesadillas, etc, and the cheddar version on grilled cheese. It goes bad really quickly but if you throw it in the freezer, it'll last for a long time. I saw on your profile that you're from Kentucky. On the Daiya website, there's a product locater section. Currently it's only available at Whole Foods in Lexington and Louisville, but keep checking back because Daiya is a pretty new brand and they're always expanding. If you want to try it out before buying, you can probably do so at the Whole Foods locations or at Mellow Mushroom Pizza in Lexington. There are also some premade foods sold in frozen sections that contain Daiya that you could check out. I tried out Amy's gluten-free, dairy-free Mac 'n Cheeze before I invested in Daiya. Suuupperrr delicious. Daiya will also be coming out with a pepperjack flavor soon! :P
I swear I don't represent their company or anything- I just LOVE Daiya.. I just wish it was cheaper.
Oh, their website is here, btw: http://www.daiyafoods.com/
There is also a review thread on this site for dairy alternative products: http://vegweb.com/index.php?topic=24336.0
WOW Thanks for all the info. I'm just in luck, I live in a small town & my daughter/family just moved to a small town but right smack in the middle is Lexington ;)b
When I told my family I was going vegetarian they laughed and said I was born vegetarian! But when I said I was going Vegan they said there was NO possible way an Italian could give up cheeses(LOL)!! Hubby is in Lexington right now, so I can just have him stop by & grab me some cheeses on the way home :)
Trying real hard to switch over to being Vegan & now that I have my cheeses, It will be alot easier ;)
Thanks again taintedlove908, you have given me new hope!!
Yeah I haven't tried any other cheeses- honestly, they've scared me. I've heard all the stories about them tasting like plastic and not melting.. So when I heard vegans raving about Daiya on here, I had to give it a shot. They just started carrying it in another store here so I'm hoping to stop by once I get more money and I'm crossing my fingers that it's cheaper!! Have you been to Mellow Mushroom? I went there one time in Ohio but that was prior to me knowing anything about Daiya. I can't wait to move back east where there are sooo many more vegan options.. Being vegan here (Idaho) is basically unheard of.
Yeah, me and my daughter went to Mellow Mushrooms. That is a restaurant right?? It's been a few years ago and I don't exactly remember the name other than Mushrooms. The decor was outrageous(LOL)! It took forever to get our food but it was so worth the wait. I wasn't a total vegetarian then but the food was outstanding. Really want to go back there as a vegan so I can check out their menu and get some good ideas for recipes ;)b
Yep, I think that's the place! Depending on the restaurant, they also have tofu, tempeh, and Daiya for their pizzas/calzones/hoagies. I'm sad we don't have one here. :'(
Nowhere. It doesn't exist.
Former cheese addict here. Sadly, I didn't like Daiya. A lot of people do like it, though, so I would recommend giving it a try! For me, the flavor was good, but the texture was weird. I like Follow Your Heart better, but it's still not quite the same.
Lately I've been using this uncheese recipe pretty much everywhere I would have cheese - you can make it as written as a sauce, or use less water to make a spread (great for grilled cheese). It isn't exactly like cheese, but it is really tasty and I can keep the bulk mix on hand to have anytime.
As for milk, I like unsweetened soy milk, but if you don't like that, a lot of people like almond milk. Do you use milk mostly just for drinking, or for cooking and baking too?
i like the recipe for "Melty Cheese" on this site for a nacho cheese or macaroni cheese sauce (you must use plain soy milk though or it will be gross)...
a lot of people like Daiya, as TL mentioned... i think it's alright
most vegan cheese smells like vomit and doesn't melt so i usually don't even go there... i have learned to just go without it these days
tofutti brand vegan cream cheese is the BOMB on bagels... i would be sad if i had no cream cheese for bagels, that would be depressing
if you don't like soy milk try almond milk... almond breeze is the best brand IMHO... i always get the sweetened variety (it will specify only on the box if it is "unsweetened")
Yep, everyone has their own opinions on vegan cheese. I think it's easier for me, at least, to try pre-made vegan foods before trying to make them on my own because I'm a horrible cook and if I buy it pre-made, at least I'll know what it's supposed to taste like. I've tried making nutritional yeast "cheese" dips, but knowing me, I may have screwed it up. Everyone says it definitely depends on what brand of nutritional yeast ("nooch") you use as well (I believe they say Red Star brand is the best). Definitely check out the review threads. There are also a ton of vegan food stores online.. Shipping is kind of crazy expensive though. Oh, and be careful when shopping for vegan cheeses in stores- most of them say lactose-free, but still have casein (a milk product) and other dairy derivatives in them. Vegan "cheeses" typically have "vegan" right on the package.
I know that I have spent the last 3 days making different "cheeses" and ended up throwing them all out...my hubby says just keep trying:) He is so supportive of me becoming vegan said he would be willing to go 2-4 meals a week vegetarian but I don't know if he wants to go all the way down to vegan(LOL)! I think I must be doing something wrong with the vegan recipes...I'm usually such a good cook. Thought I'd at least try a few of the cheeses out there after all, I'm Italian :-D
The milk I'll just be using for on cereal & cooking with. The tofutti cream cheese I will definitely have to try...mmmm bagels & cream cheese...YUMMO ;)b
Yeah I think the differences between regular animal cheeses and vegan cheeses are a lot more apparent to cheese addicts who have actually tasted cheese recently. I think we'll have to get use to them slowly..
I asked my daughter the name of that restaurant and it was Mellow Mushroom...she said they had a chain of restaurants.
Update on Cheeses: Since I found out how expensive the cheeses are I decided to give making at least the mozzarella cheese a try...I tried some of the other cheeses on this site:( I only tried half a recipe this time. I really don't like the smell/ taste of tofu unless the recipe has got ingredients to "mask" the smell/taste. So I'm trying to make a herbed mozzarella that has got my 7 basic Italian herbs of cilantro, thyme, rosemary, basil, oregano, garlic and onion powders in it. It's waiting the 8 hrs. in the frig. Then going to try it on my favorite sammy of mozzarella cheese, mushroom & artichoke hearts toasted on a whole wheat hoagie ;)b
Will let you know how it turns out about 5 tonight. Keep your fingers crossed ^-^
Hoping for the best!
Have you seen the Uncheese Cookbook? Review thread here. I had it out from the library for a while but never tried anything from it. This blog post has renewed my interest: Uncheese, Uncomplicated (scroll down for the beautiful Muenster).
Cheese Update...I used the mozzarella recipe from vegweb. I only made 1/2 the recipe and it turn out FANTASTIC!! I put the spices in after the heavy cream but before the tofu so they wouldn't fly around in the food processor(LOL)!! I added 1/2 teaspoon each of cilantro, thyme, oregano, and basil. Then I added 1/4 teaspoon of each of rosemary, garlic and onion powder. So YUMMO. Will go in all my Italian dishes because it melts really well :)>>>
Thanks for the tip...I'll have to check out the two threads you listed, especially for muenster ;)b
Yeah I think the differences between regular animal cheeses and vegan cheeses are a lot more apparent to cheese addicts who have actually tasted cheese recently. I think we'll have to get use to them slowly..
true dat!
and link for that italian cheese please 4MB!
Is it this recipe: Vegan Mozzarella cheese? If so, it looks similar to a lot of the uncheese cookbook recipes, so if you like this one, you might like those too.
I have never found an undairy cheese that was at all appetizing. Many people talk about Daiya, but I found it revolting. It has this unexplainable "off" flavor that I didn't enjoy but actually induced nausea in my husband. So, alas, I've had to give up on cheese. Now I concentrate on dishes that don't require it (stir fries, for example). If I get a cheese craving, you can make a "cheese-like" sauce using nutritional yeast and cashews. Silken tofu is also a good dairy/cream substitute.
I have tried soy milk, almond milk, hemp milk, coconut milk. My favorite is almond milk. I still have yet to try rice milk. My problem with nondairy milks is they are all too sweet - even the unsweetened versions. That's OK if you are drinking them, but if you are cooking with them, the extra sweetness can really ruin a savory dish. However, you can make your own nut milk that will not be sweet, and I've had good results with using cashews and almonds to make milks that are suitable for cooking. Just blend one part raw nuts to 4 parts water to make the milk. You can reduce the amount of water if you want a thicker, cream or sauce-like consistency.
Yes that is the recipe I used VegRunSki/amymylove... I started out intending on making an herbed cheese so I just used that recipe for my base. Really gonna have to check out that book ;)b
fuzzys, Thanks for the milk recipes. I'll have to try them. This would be an excellent way to use up all the nuts that I have in my freezer from Christmas. Plus I can get nuts more inexpensively at Alidi's then buying the store bought milk from the health food store around here 8-)
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