Vegan cheese has quietly but steadily infiltrated mainstream supermarket shelves • Hacker News Board

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

#381

Post by alisonatwork » Fri, Apr 30, 2021, 2:12 AM UTC

hnick wrote: post #368

Kalium wrote: post #365

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I suggest looking up the process for making mozzarella at home. Then then process for making tofu at home. Your instructor was accurate on more than a purely nutritional level.

Is there a tofu equivalent of something like parmesan or brie? I can see how tofu relates to mozzarella or ricotta and I've reached that conclusion myself before, but there is a wide variety of cheeses. Apparently vegan-cheese varieties of those exist, but I'm curious if anyone took tofu there.

There are several varieties of stinky tofu[0] that feature both a hard rind and soft center like brie.

Some varieties of 豆腐乳 (Wikipedia translates this as fermented bean curd[1]) have strong flavor and creamy texture like blue cheese.

I'm not sure there's anything quite as hard as parmesan (I assume you mean Parmigiano-Reggiano), but there are several smoked tofu varieties that taste similar to smoked gouda.

Sadly in the west most shops only sell silky tofu and firm tofu, which are perhaps the most culinarily flexible, but they are far from the most texturally interesting or flavorful varieties.

[0] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stinky_tofu

[1] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fermented_bean_curd

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

#382

Post by piyh » Fri, Apr 30, 2021, 2:15 AM UTC

notacoward wrote: post #366

robrenaud wrote: post #339

Earlier quoted context omitted.

As someone who has drank 3,000+ different commercial beers, and has brewed a few hundred gallons of homebrew (alcoholic) beer, I'd highly recommend giving athletic brewing companies non-alcoholic beers a shot. This beer is better than the median alcoholic coffee porter. https://athleticbrewing.com/products/first-ride-coffee-porte... Their IPAs aren't as good as say, Founder's All Day IPA, but they aren't substantiall…

Seconded. Just finished one less than half an hour ago, in fact, because I'm abstaining for a bit after my second Pfizer shot (apparently alcohol is not ideal for the process). Sometimes low-calorie and/or no-alcohol are desirable traits. When I can I'll still go for a Southern Tier or Allagash product, but Athletic makes some thoroughly decent drinkable beers for a different set of occasions.

Members of my family are dry and drink NA beer. I buy it to have it around for them, but honestly it's great for having a beer with lunch, or wanting to drink something that isn't sugar. Even going over to a friends place while I'm planning on driving, go every other beer real vs NA.

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

#383

Post by piyh » Fri, Apr 30, 2021, 2:17 AM UTC

hutzlibu wrote: post #363

Ma8ee wrote: post #253

Earlier quoted context omitted.

We drink a lot of non alcoholic beer. I want something more exiting than water even on work day lunches and I don’t like sweet drinks and I’m trying to reduce my caffeine intake. Not that much left to choose from then.

"Not that much left to choose from then." If you are happy with non alcoholic beer, stay with that, but have you heard of - Tea? There are lots and lots of different tea's around, as you can make tea out of allmost anything. So plenty of caffeine-free choices there.

Why not both?

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

#384

Post by trainsplanes » Fri, Apr 30, 2021, 2:28 AM UTC

alisonatwork wrote: post #381

hnick wrote: post #368

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Is there a tofu equivalent of something like parmesan or brie? I can see how tofu relates to mozzarella or ricotta and I've reached that conclusion myself before, but there is a wide variety of cheeses. Apparently vegan-cheese varieties of those exist, but I'm curious if anyone took tofu there.

There are several varieties of stinky tofu[0] that feature both a hard rind and soft center like brie. Some varieties of 豆腐乳 (Wikipedia translates this as fermented bean curd[1]) have strong flavor and creamy texture like blue cheese. I'm not sure there's anything quite as hard as parmesan (I assume you mean Parmigiano-Reggiano), but there are several smoked tofu varieties that taste similar to smoked gouda. Sadly in…

Yeah, furu is shockingly close to cheese in flavor. It's very pungent and salty, so you can't just just chop off a huge slice and eat it like you would cheese, but you could probably blend it with creamier tofu/soy milk to make something similar to normal cheese.

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

#385

Post by ArchOversight » Fri, Apr 30, 2021, 2:29 AM UTC

phonypc wrote: post #128

ArchOversight wrote: post #97

Earlier quoted context omitted.

In a blind taste test put on for friends people thought the Impossible was actually the real deal and the beef burger was the fake "meat" product. Both burgers were made with the same spices and were grilled on a charcoal grill. People are happier to replace their hamburger meat with Impossible instead. Beyond Meat has slightly different flavor that people were able to pick out as "fake meat".

What were you using for the "real deal" though? If it was a frozen patty that included textured vegetable protein and other things alongside beef, as so many do, I can understand. I can't understand mixing up an Impossible burger with a decently cooked 100% beef patty.

70/30 beef from a local butcher. No additives.

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

#386

Post by MeinBlutIstBlau » Fri, Apr 30, 2021, 2:36 AM UTC

bromley wrote: post #321

cheese_goddess wrote: post #263

I don't understand why you need to imitate something that isn't vegan or vegetarian, when you want to eat vegan or vegetarian. There is a metric shitton of vegan and vegetarian dishes from the entire world's cuisines that you could be eating right now insteaed of a substitute for something you've decided never to eat again. Why pretend-eat what you don't want to eat in the first place? That's just mad. Go eat Indian…

Here's one: because you love cheese but you also love animals and so don't want to contribute to their suffering. In my experience people tend to become vegan: 1. for the animals; and/or 2. for the planet; and/or 3. for health. I have never heard another vegan say they became vegan because they didn't like the taste of cheese.

But the spirit of what your doing is flawed. Your essentially saying that the thing was so good you'd like to have it again therefore reminding people that an exploration of animals is good in the sense for human consumption. Regardless if whether or not it comes from animals.

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

#387

Post by kingofpandora » Fri, Apr 30, 2021, 2:43 AM UTC

mywittyname wrote: post #243

fader wrote: post #208

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I hear this sort of thing a lot but don't quite understand it. I've been a vegetarian for eight years, but I eat meat substitute products. I have ethical issues with eating meat and I feel considerably better physically when I don't eat meat, but that doesn't mean that meat doesn't taste good. I'm quite happy to be able to pop some Quorn mycoprotein into a casserole and eat comfort foods of my childhood without havin…

It comes down to personal preference. I'm with the GP comment for the exact reasons: I don't like vegan/vegetarian products that imitate animal products because they never actually hit the mark. This attitude isn't limited to animal products either, almost every ersatz product is worse than what it is trying to imitate. People generally don't like chicory & roasted rye in place of coffee, or teas made from roasted ba…

As someone who had been a vegetarian since birth, I almost never like foods that attempt to imitate meat simply because they don't usually taste better good. I'm not trying to replace something I used to eat, and I'm also not disgusted by meat so if like to think this is an unbiased opinion...

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

#388

Post by hnick » Fri, Apr 30, 2021, 2:49 AM UTC

alisonatwork wrote: post #381

hnick wrote: post #368

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Is there a tofu equivalent of something like parmesan or brie? I can see how tofu relates to mozzarella or ricotta and I've reached that conclusion myself before, but there is a wide variety of cheeses. Apparently vegan-cheese varieties of those exist, but I'm curious if anyone took tofu there.

There are several varieties of stinky tofu[0] that feature both a hard rind and soft center like brie. Some varieties of 豆腐乳 (Wikipedia translates this as fermented bean curd[1]) have strong flavor and creamy texture like blue cheese. I'm not sure there's anything quite as hard as parmesan (I assume you mean Parmigiano-Reggiano), but there are several smoked tofu varieties that taste similar to smoked gouda. Sadly in…

Yes Parmigiano-Reggiano. Parmesan is just the generic name for places where we care about DOP qualifications I guess.

I do have a jar of red Chinese fermented bean curd in my fridge, but have only mixed it into sauces per recipes. I should probably try it by itself.

Smoked tofu sounds really interesting.

Indonesians have tempeh which is a bit like haloumi I guess when pan fried, so that's another one.

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

#389

Post by bigmattystyles » Fri, Apr 30, 2021, 2:50 AM UTC

I hate how they can obfuscate the fact that they're not dairy. Via their labels and shelf placement. I've bought them on accident. It's always obvious to me on first taste, but from the superficial supermarket look, it is not. I'd think they get the 'wings' treatment.

https://www.thompsoncoburn.com/insights/blogs/food-fight/pos...

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

#390

Post by thomaslangston » Fri, Apr 30, 2021, 2:54 AM UTC

anyfoo wrote: post #360

js2 wrote: post #81

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I tend to agree with this. I'm not a vegetarian, but if I were, I'd wouldn't eat imitation animal products anymore than I'd drink non-alcoholic beer. I'm happy to eat vegetarian food. It stands on its own as delicious. One of the best "burgers" I've ever had was made with black beans and wasn't trying to imitate meat. (It was at The Vortex in Atlanta years ago.) Imitation products that I've tried have always just lef…

> anymore than I'd drink non-alcoholic beer. Non-alcoholic beer seems more popular in Germany (yes, Germany, where beer is very serious business) than in the US. I like it a lot, because it's a refreshing drink with good taste and no alcohol, well suitable if you want to drive or just don't feel like drinking alcohol right now. I wish it was more common in the US (where I live now).

It was very common in Miami, and I can find it usually in normal grocery stores in NYC.

Goya Malta and O'Doul's are the brands I'm most familiar with.