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Vegan cheese has quietly but steadily infiltrated mainstream supermarket shelves

eater.com

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Re: Vegan cheese has quietly but steadily infiltrated mainstream supermarket shelves

#11

Post by ben_w »

Just before the pandemic, I was thinking about how cheese was made from milk and how soy milk could (with the right extras) be a pretty decent milk substitute, and wondered if you could make a cheese alternative by applying the milk-to-cheese process to soy milk.

Then I realised this already exists and is called “tofu”.

The smoked tofu I find around Berlin is pretty good even cold, tastes similar to some smoked hard cheeses, and works in sandwiches. I’ve not even considered trying it on pizza though.

Re: Vegan cheese has quietly but steadily infiltrated mainstream supermarket shelves

#12

Post by smt88 »

jjcon wrote: post #2

> Vegan Cheese Is Ready to Compete With Dairy. Is the World Ready to Eat It? I’m vegetarian and my partner is vegan - I’ve tried every vegan cheese on the shelf. The answer is no because it’s not even close to ready. It might pass an initial taste test where you say, that’s not so bad, but then you pick up on all the things it’s missing. Sometimes the aftertaste is terrible, sometimes the texture or versatility. Mayb…

I'm not a vegan and have enjoyed vegan cheese on breakfast sandwiches. It works for me when it's not the only flavor.

Re: Vegan cheese has quietly but steadily infiltrated mainstream supermarket shelves

#13

Post by La1n »

endisneigh wrote: post #6

Leaving aside for a moment the morality of eating meat and dairy - is there actually any (health) benefit to the heavily (and I mean heavily ) processed dairy alternatives compared to just eating regular cheese?

Not all vegan cheeses are heavily processed, the cashew based type mentioned in the article tends to be not processed more than a normal cheese would be.

Re: Vegan cheese has quietly but steadily infiltrated mainstream supermarket shelves

#14

Post by guyzero »

I eat a number of different vegan meat substitutes and they're all fine but vegan cheese is still much, much further from the real thing. That said, I Don't think cheese needs to be a huge part of anyone's diet, so simply reducing your intake is fine.

Re: Vegan cheese has quietly but steadily infiltrated mainstream supermarket shelves

#15

Post by 8ytecoder »

dfgasdgsd wrote: post #9
jjcon wrote: post #2

> Vegan Cheese Is Ready to Compete With Dairy. Is the World Ready to Eat It? I’m vegetarian and my partner is vegan - I’ve tried every vegan cheese on the shelf. The answer is no because it’s not even close to ready. It might pass an initial taste test where you say, that’s not so bad, but then you pick up on all the things it’s missing. Sometimes the aftertaste is terrible, sometimes the texture or versatility. Mayb…

(partner is also vegan) - Miyoko Garlic Herb is the only one I've ever had that is "good" in my opinion. It's definitely not cheese, but as a picnic cheese/crackers situation I actually might like it more than a cheese version.

Miyako’s Mozzarella is good enough.

Re: Vegan cheese has quietly but steadily infiltrated mainstream supermarket shelves

#16

Post by jjcon »

dfgasdgsd wrote: post #9
jjcon wrote: post #2

> Vegan Cheese Is Ready to Compete With Dairy. Is the World Ready to Eat It? I’m vegetarian and my partner is vegan - I’ve tried every vegan cheese on the shelf. The answer is no because it’s not even close to ready. It might pass an initial taste test where you say, that’s not so bad, but then you pick up on all the things it’s missing. Sometimes the aftertaste is terrible, sometimes the texture or versatility. Mayb…

(partner is also vegan) - Miyoko Garlic Herb is the only one I've ever had that is "good" in my opinion. It's definitely not cheese, but as a picnic cheese/crackers situation I actually might like it more than a cheese version.

Totally agree on miyoko - the best tasting I’ve had and good in its own right kinda as it’s own thing

Re: Vegan cheese has quietly but steadily infiltrated mainstream supermarket shelves

#17

Post by CarelessExpert »

There's something unexpected about this aspect of veganism, which is often embraced by those wanting to lead a healthier lifestyle, resulting in the development of more and more advanced food processing technologies designed to synthesize the experience of foods being excluded from the diet.

Basically, in the quest to return to a more healthy, natural diet, some folks end up moving to foods that are more and more processed.

That's not meant to be a criticism! In my mind it's just a bit of a surprising outcome and makes me wonder how folks who consume these products square that circle in their minds.

Re: Vegan cheese has quietly but steadily infiltrated mainstream supermarket shelves

#18

Post by Accacin »

endisneigh wrote: post #6

Leaving aside for a moment the morality of eating meat and dairy - is there actually any (health) benefit to the heavily (and I mean heavily ) processed dairy alternatives compared to just eating regular cheese?

I'm vegan, and probably not. I've heard that most vegan substitutes are processed heavily so not really more healthy (and probably less healthy than non-vegan options).

However, I do still eat them on occasion. Sometimes after a 30km run, all I think about is burgers so when I get home and sit and have vegan burger with vegan cheese.

It may not be as good as the 'real thing' but it hits the spot :)

Re: Vegan cheese has quietly but steadily infiltrated mainstream supermarket shelves

#19

Post by jjcon »

pcthrowaway wrote: post #8
jjcon wrote: post #2

> Vegan Cheese Is Ready to Compete With Dairy. Is the World Ready to Eat It? I’m vegetarian and my partner is vegan - I’ve tried every vegan cheese on the shelf. The answer is no because it’s not even close to ready. It might pass an initial taste test where you say, that’s not so bad, but then you pick up on all the things it’s missing. Sometimes the aftertaste is terrible, sometimes the texture or versatility. Mayb…

Which brands have you tried? There's a wild diversity, and I suspect even with dairy cheeses you could try many kinds and think it's "missing" something (compared to another type of cheese, or even the same cheese from a different producer) For example, a (dairy) farmer's cheese is going to be completely different from a blue cheese, which is completely different from a sharp cheddar. Each of those is "missing" somet…

> Which brands have you tried?

More than I could possibly recall. Violife, chao, follow your heart, miyokos, daiya, parmellas, go veggie, kite hill, Trader Joe’s brand

> For some kinds of cheese, people actually find them indistinguishable from the classic dairy versions

Not a chance that I believe this. Maybe as a minor ingredient in a larger meal but certainly not as a main ingredient or on its own.

Re: Vegan cheese has quietly but steadily infiltrated mainstream supermarket shelves

#20

Post by hvna »

CarelessExpert wrote: post #17

There's something unexpected about this aspect of veganism, which is often embraced by those wanting to lead a healthier lifestyle, resulting in the development of more and more advanced food processing technologies designed to synthesize the experience of foods being excluded from the diet. Basically, in the quest to return to a more healthy, natural diet, some folks end up moving to foods that are more and more pro…

This is something I've noticed as well. Sometimes ingredient lists are a mile long. Less so here in Europe than what I've seen in America, but nevertheless it is shockingly less natural. I have always though that it makes more sense to just create vegan foods from what you have rather than recreating the things you are choosing not to eat.

Warning though, I am not a part of the vegan club, so it is all just opinion.

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