Vegan cheese - any good?

[FR]

You just haven't tried my version of it.
To each their own. Send me some of the stuff (chreese) and I'll try it out.

Ileana

Okay. I have cheddar packs left. I used up all the mozerella ones .

[littleTigercub]

I tried many and did not like either. It`s the consistency I find yucky - I actually forgot to list vegan cheeses in the "yucky food" thread.

littleTigercub

[spo]

Hey, can any of you tell me how good Cheezly is? Since I am in the States, I wanted to get it shipped from the UK, but not before I get your opinions as to its taste and ability to melt.
Thanks
spo

[bittersweet]

Spo - new melting Cheezly melts very well (almost too runny for some purposes, which is why less can be more). I find it a little bland, but it's good in toasties or pizza, to give "mouthfeel" to stronger tasting ingredients (olives, sundried tomatoes etc)

[Evilfluffbunny]

Spo, you can get melting Cheezly (which melts pretty much like dairy cheese) but the cheddar one (which I think has the strongest taste) is only available in slice form. The block cheddar cheezly goes more kind of squidgy than melty, it's still nice though (in my opinion anyway ). I don't think any of them are nice enough to eat on their own (again though, just my opinion), but they're fantastic for making cheese on toast, pizza etc.

There was a cheese I tasted at the Veggie Roadshow which tasted just like dairy cheese, but I think it might have been 'Scheese' (not sure if that's the correct spelling) - it's slightly more expensive but seemed nicer than Cheezly.

[bittersweet]

My partner reckons the "cheddar" scheese tastes more like a mild blue cheese! - and of course, it's non melting...

[Evilfluffbunny]

My partner reckons the "cheddar" scheese tastes more like a mild blue cheese! - and of course, it's non melting...

I wish I knew what it was I'd tasted, the samples were all mixed up though and it was too busy to go and ask someone.

Another thing which was really nice (and tasted exactly like the traditional version) was a cheese & onion pasty/pie thing by Ambrosia Foods. It was so cheesey tasting that I panicked at first and thought I'd picked up a veggie thing by mistake - it was definately vegan though. I can't find them anywhere though and they don't have a website.

[Mozbee]

I tried Scheese first and quite liked it, but after experiencing Cheezley I've not given it another go.
I'm a Cheezley convert, I've tried the mozzarella, gouda, mature cheddar style (& probably a few others). I like the mature cheddar style raw!
The melting versions are okay but tend to be prone to moulding quicker even when kept in airtight containers.

[feline01]

Spo,

Have you ever tried Vegan Gourmet cheese made by Follow Your Heart? It's scrumptious, at least the mozarella and the monterey jack. I'm not too fond of the cheddar or nacho. And it melts! That's the same company who makes Vegannaise (yum).

[spo]

Well, yes, feline, I do use the Vegan Gourmet stuff all the time. I actually find it is not as good as I hoped. It does melt, but very irregularly. It will melt under the broiler, OK, but in the microwave, it is not too melty.

I just want to rant a moment here: I found the Redwood Wholefood Company website a few week back, and they said they took online orders. I had always wanted to get my hands on Cheezly, and some of the Deli Slices. I asked for and got good opinions from you guys on the forum. So, I went to put in an order yesterday.
I put in my order, including the section for my address, and when I got to the credit card part, it said:We Do Not Ship Outside the UK!!!. I was so p*ssed off!! Why not say that right at the beginning of the shop section???

So, it looks like I will have to stick with my homemade fake cheese sauces and the Vegan Gourmet. I do so want to try Cheezly!!
spo

[feline01]

Well, you'll just have to plan a trip to the UK

[cedarblue]

Well, yes, feline, I do use the Vegan Gourmet stuff all the time. I actually find it is not as good as I hoped. It does melt, but very irregularly. It will melt under the broiler, OK, but in the microwave, it is not too melty.

I just want to rant a moment here: I found the Redwood Wholefood Company website a few week back, and they said they took online orders. I had always wanted to get my hands on Cheezly, and some of the Deli Slices. I asked for and got good opinions from you guys on the forum. So, I went to put in an order yesterday.
I put in my order, including the section for my address, and when I got to the credit card part, it said:We Do Not Ship Outside the UK!!!. I was so p*ssed off!! Why not say that right at the beginning of the shop section???

So, it looks like I will have to stick with my homemade fake cheese sauces and the Vegan Gourmet. I do so want to try Cheezly!!
spo

if you can find a company that ships refridgerated parcels i will send you some

[gertvegan]

I put in my order, including the section for my address, and when I got to the credit card part, it said:We Do Not Ship Outside the UK!!!. I was so p*ssed off!! Why not say that right at the beginning of the shop section???

spo, it does say "Due to the cost and restrictions of shipping perishable products overseas, we regret to say we are unable to provide this service to consumers. However, we do offer a container service to importers" in answer to the "Can any products of your be shipped overseas?" question in the faq. And on their forum it says "Currently we don't sell in the USA. We are however looking into various possibilities. Although we have no firm date as to when we will start distributing I will keep you informed". Though this was posted some time ago. Why don't you email them spo, I've spoken to them at various vegan fayres and over the phone, and they seem very approachable.

[spo]

Oh, Cedarblue, thank you so very much. I will look into how this could be done, if it is indeed possible. It is so nice of you to suggest this. I will pay all expenses, if I find that the plan is feasible. If I come up with a simple and reasonable way, I will PM you. Thanks, again for your kindness.

Yes, Gert, you are totally right here. Maybe I was just so anxious and happy to get my hot little vegan hands on the Cheezly, that I subconsciously overlooked the FAQ section. I do feel stupid, now, though.
Oh, BTW, I did email them asking if they had come up with some way to get their products sold in the US, but so far, no answer. But, I'm sure it will take a little time.
spo

[NakedBeavis]

I think the tofutti cheeses are ok if you nuke'em, but barely edible otherwise.. And they're 99.9 percent junk food.

The best vegan cheeses I've eaten (and cheese was a serious craving for me) are in the cookbook "Simply Heavenly! The Monastery Vegetarian Cookbook". They are so good that I often refer to this book as my bible. I was never a fan of pimentos, but you really can taste them in the pimento cheese recipes and they're wonderful in sandwiches.

Their seitan recipes are swell also, but pretty involved.

Think Un-beef and Notzarella sandwiches!

[spo]

Hi, NB
you seem to be new here, so welcome to the forum and it's good to have you with us.

This cookbook of yours sounds very good to me. I have never heard of it before; do you know where we can get it? Or how?
Thanks
spo

[NakedBeavis]

Howdy Spo..
It's actually out of print, and thus hard to come by. You can try getting it from Half.com or Amazon.. If you see it for $30 or less, snatch it up. Why they don't bring this book back print is beyond me.

[Franny]

I like vegan gourmet mozzarella. There was this one cheese we bought when we first became vegan. It's hard to talk about. It was a block of vegan cheddar. It was slimy and disgusting and........yuck. I haven't fully recovered from that experience. How it ended up in a food store is beyond me.

[Kevster]

After my fresh organic bread, grated melting mozarella, and vegan worcestor sauce thing, lightly grilled hmmmmmm, i've moved onto cucumber and cheezly mozarella sandwiches, quite an enjoyable snack i must say.

[Caitlin]

I liked them! But stopped buying them because I thought they were just vegetarian, not vegan.

[bmwslut]

Hm....vegan cheese.
Its tough...I loved cheese before I became vegan. So an alternative is hard to swallow...no pun intended. I tried soymage...It smelled good but made me want to puke. I'm going to try the slices today...hope that doesn't bomb too. I also tried their sour cream...yuck! I also bought a block of Vegan Rella...its ok. I'd say just ditch cheese if your the dairy connoisseur because the taste buds reject...well at least for me. <sigh>

[Roxy]

Yes, it's definately hard to compare "fake cheese" to the real thing. Just like trying to compare apples and oranges.

I've grown quite accostomed to my Toffuti slices.

[Wildflower]

I bought a block of Vegan Rella today....it is um...interesting. I grated it on tacos and heated in the microwave. the cheese got very melty/sticky (I was suprised!) But the taste was a little weird... I think i will have to try it mixed in more and with some more spices. Maybe mac and cheese?

Before I was vegan I used to buy soy cheese with casien and a lot of them are really good tasting. I thought the casien just helped it melt, I would rather have unmelty good tasting cheese than melty yucky tasting. But that's just me.

For those who find Vegan Gourmet by Follow Your Heart, can you let me know what stores and where you live? I am in search of it and travel quite often and would like to pick it up. I know you can order online, but I really would rather pick it up to try. The website has distributers, but not retail stores, so it is hard to say where to get it without calling all the distributers in my region, then calling all the stores they tell me may have it. I did start a thread here for anyone who wants to start a retail store list. Thanks!

[DianeVegan]

I have found Vegan Gourmet cheese in New York, Connecticut, Virginia (D.C.) and Alaska. I think theirs is absolutely the best (I have thrown away every other brand that I've tried).

If you have the desire to make it, the block cheddar from the Ultimate Uncheese Book is just as good as Vegan Gourmet. It's the mozzarella that I haven't been able to reproduce with much luck (too soft) and believe me, I've tweaked the recipe many times.

[Cherry]

Scheese is just too chalky and (although I haven't tried it again for years so I don't know if they've improved it) but cheezly is ok. Super melting cheezly is great stuff (or grate stuff ) - I think I prefer that one uncooked too. Vegerella tastes a bit strange.

As a vegetarian I used to have cheese on everything, but now I don't crave it at all, and I rarely have cheezly - partly because my health food shop's stocking is a bit erratic and partly because I'm just not used to having it. Are other people the same or are the cheese cravings just as strong?

[pixeequeen]

I used to be a huge cheese fan too Cherry, but I find I just have it on stuff rather than on its own and that gives me my cheese fix. I really like Cheddar Scheese though, much more than Cheezly. I reckon dairy cheese would taste icky nowI've got used to the faiirly strong distinctive Scheese taste in fact.

[Cherry]

Maybe I should give scheese another go! I must note that the only time I have ever tried it was when I was vegetarian and still eating 'normal' cheese. It wouldn't be the same on pizza though (as melting cheezly).

I absolutely agree- the thought of eating dairy cheese is just weird. Along with all other dairy products. Sometimes I'm not sure if I've got the right cup of tea because I can't taste the soya milk anymore, but then I once did get the wrong cup and it was SO strongly 'milky'. Yuck.

[NakedBeavis]

A last thought.. I also find that slicing avocado thinly works well as a cheese sandwich replacement.

[Cherry]

Good Point. I love avocado sandwiches. Mmm.

Oh, and in veggie burgers: grated carrot.

[Anna]

Hello I am new to this site and just finding my way as a vegan. Just wanted to say that I went to a veggie fair in Sheffield last week and tried some Scheese and cheezly samples which were lovely. It is really expensive here to buy if you find you have made a mistake so at the moment I am surviving without

[Anna]

Maybe I should give scheese another go! I must note that the only time I have ever tried it was when I was vegetarian and still eating 'normal' cheese. It wouldn't be the same on pizza though (as melting cheezly).

I absolutely agree- the thought of eating dairy cheese is just weird. Along with all other dairy products. Sometimes I'm not sure if I've got the right cup of tea because I can't taste the soya milk anymore, but then I once did get the wrong cup and it was SO strongly 'milky'. Yuck.

I have really got used to soya milk in tea and coffee now and actually think they are better. Today I am following the information I was given about the whereabouts of engevita yeast flakes will let you all know the outcome. am going on a trip to Zed's at nether edge after work today

[IntoTheBlue]

I've tried every type of vegan 'hard' cheese going in the hope of finding one that I like, but so far no luck. I don't even like the melting cheesly that so many vegans say is delicious. The first time I tried scheese, I literally gagged. The one that I found the least yucky was Tuffuti mozzerella style. After 10 years of trying, I've given up hope of finding one I really like. The 'soft' cheeses I find much more palatable and I think Toffuti country vegetable is the tastiest.

[VeganJohn]

I personally think Cheezly is an excellent cheese substitute, although the melting mozzarella is fairly tasteless imo. Real dairy cheese appears quite 'greasy' to me now and I would not be able to stomach eating it I don't think.

I have tried Scheese, but only found it average in terms of taste. A truly awful tasting cheese was one that came shaped like a large sausage and was tofu based. I can't remember the name now, but it was not good at all.

[gicuzzi]

I'm kinda frustrated because I am having a hard time finding true vegan cheeses here... I don't understand the point of making "veggie" cheeses if they aren't really vegan!

[Yoggy]

I'm kinda frustrated because I am having a hard time finding true vegan cheeses here... I don't understand the point of making "veggie" cheeses if they aren't really vegan!

I think it's for people who are lactose intolerant. They can make a lacose-free cheese that still contains other animal derived products like rennet and casein, so that non-vegan lactose intolerant people can eat it. I guess they're a bigger market than vegans

On a different note, I just got "The Ultimate Uncheese Cookbook" in the mail yesterday. It's for my sister's birthday. She's omni, but she's allergic to cheese, so it seemed like a great book for her. She also eats all sorts of non-cheesy dairy products, so hopefully she'll read the information in the introduction about the dangers of dairy and cut down. Even though I got this book for her, it looks so good that I may have to pick myself up a copy! But until then, I'm going to photocopy some of the tastier recipes before I send the book to her, so I can try them out for myself!

[defu]

redwood and wheatey are ok good for pizza

[VeganJohn]

I was under the impression that 'vegetarian' cheeses are cheeses that are not made using animal 'rennet', usually taken from the stomach lining of calves and used in the cheese making process.

I would have thought all dairy cheeses contain lactose??

[gicuzzi]

I think it's for people who are lactose intolerant. They can make a lacose-free cheese that still contains other animal derived products like rennet and casein, so that non-vegan lactose intolerant people can eat it. I guess they're a bigger market than vegans

My mom is lactose intolerant and the only cheese she can eat is cheddar cheese because it doesn't contain lactose (so she says... I haven't done my research!) This is why the whole "veggie cheddar cheese" thing confuses me if its not vegan!

[Yoggy]

I was under the impression that 'vegetarian' cheeses are cheeses that are not made using animal 'rennet', usually taken from the stomach lining of calves and used in the cheese making process.

I'm sure you're right about there being no rennet in vegetarian cheese. I didn't do my research , and I've never eaten veg*n cheese.

I had no idea about cheddar cheese not containing lactose, but I googled it, and it seems to be true. Weird.

[eve]

Even cheddar contains casein - which is a big turnoff as it is not only dairy, but casein is addictive.

Like IntoTheBlue, the first time I tried scheese, I gagged. Even cheese labelled "soy cheese" contains casein, but there is one cheese produced here by KingLand, labelled soy cheese cheddar style and is completely vegan.

[eve]

PS: an extract from a vegsoc.org article:

Advances in genetic engineering techniques mean that some vegetarian cheeses may now be made using chymosin produced by GE micro-organisms. The DNA which encodes for chymosin is introduced into a micro-organism which can then be cultured to produce commercial quantities of chymosin. This is done by extracting genetic material from calf stomach cells which acts as a template for producing the chymosin encoding DNA. This can then be introduced into the micro-organism. Once the genetic material is introduced there is no further need for calf cells. Alternatively, the chymosin encoding DNA can be bio-synthesised in the laboratory without the use of calf cells.

The chymosin produced is identical to that produced by calf stomach cells. The development of GE chymosin has been encouraged by shortages and fluctuations in cost of rennet from calves. Its manufacturers claim that GE chymosin will end the cheese making industry's reliance on the slaughter of calves.

[Wishin986]

I tried Tofutti Better Than Cream Cheese for the first time tonight and it was divine! Not as good as Earth Balance, which I also had for the first time, which tastes better than butter! Yumm... I have a feeling it is not going to be a good thing that I have discovered these since I will now be eating them.. a lot.

[sugarmouse]

i have grown to like most vegan cheese now..espectially the rice based varieties...i see it as an aquired taste)

[moochbabe]

i just wanted to mention, that since having the tofutti cheese slices, i just tried a new brand and their cheese is amazing. i noticed the tofutti cheese slices did have a chemical taste to them, but this cheese tastes just like chedder cheese and velveeta mixed together. its got that grainy taste that chedder does. heres the link if anyones interested!

http://www.galaxyfoods.com/soyco.html#6

they have a section on "where to buy"

I just recently got those, I dunno, i guess they're a little hard to get used to, but I'm sure I'll aquire a taste for them!

[moochbabe]

I just discovered Vegan Gourmet Cheese Alternative from Follow Your Heart, it tastes great and melts.

I really gotta try that cuz in Cali I've only found some kinda lousy vegan cheese, although I have to be honest, I haven't really been looking that hard, I just bought some the other day.

[DianeVegan]

Follow Your Heart is located in Calilfornia - they even have a restaurant! I am sure you will be able to find it near you. I have to travel an hour to find it here (I will have to grovel and beg once again at my nearest health food store, trying to get them to carry it)

[moochbabe]

Very cool! Thanx for the tips guys! I can't wait to try it!

[lmd]

Anna,
If you live in Sheffield, "Beanies" is a great place for vegan food like yeast flakes (if it's still there - I lived in Shefiield for a while two years ago).

[xwitchymagicx]

The cheese I had smelt like old socks. Lol it kind of put me off though I should try again...

[urbandryad]

they don't have toffutti in my area. How expensive is it to order through the net? Anybody wiling to order it for me through like a paypal exchange?