The best vegan cheese
By: Helen Pitlick
Published: April 12, 2010

Today is National Grilled Cheese Sandwich day. I'm  vegan, but I eat a whole lot of grilled melted  cheese-like product sandwiches. My mom gave me her panini press a few years back, and it gets more use than almost any other appliance in my kitchen.
However, the perfect vegan grilled cheese is elusive. The thing about most vegan products, from veggie burgers to ice cream to fake cheese, is that you need to experiment until you find the right fit. There are some terrible, terrible products on the market, and the fact of the matter is that many vegan cheeses taste like garbage, with textures and colors not found in nature. (You heard it from a vegan.) Plus, it's important to note that many brands of soy or rice cheese  are not    actually vegan; these contain casein, a milk protein, or other  milk    derivatives.

However, there are some vegan cheeses that are quite excellent. In celebration of this glorious day, I present you with a sampling of my extensive research into vegan cheeses, the good, the bad, and the Tofutti.
Daiya, cheddar: Daiya is, completely deservedly, the It cheese substitute of the moment.  It has a chewy texture  and savory, slightly nutty flavor, without the  horrid plastic taste you  get with some vegan cheeses. It melts quite  well, and actually stays  fairly solid rather than turning into a runny  liquid; some people rave that it even forms cheese-like strands  when pulled apart. I find the texture a  trifle gelatinous when  melted, but all-in-all this is a first-rate  product. It's one of the  few vegan cheeses that is soy free, and is now available at many Whole Foods Markets, though an employee at the Whole Foods closest to me looked at me like I was from Mars and said, "I wish" when I asked him where I could find it on their shelves.
Tofutti, mozzarella flavor: Eaten plain, it has a  creamy, tangy,  garlicky flavor, not unlike feta cheese or raita. It  actually sort of  burns the throat, not something I look for in a cheese replacement, or food in general. When grilled, the burning sensation goes away, but the  cheese itself disintegrates into the bread; it's  like eating two  pieces of toast loosely bound together  with a sticky substance. I love Tofutti's other products (Cuties, Sour Supreme, and vegan cream cheese) but this fake cheese was just terrible; I  bought it at QFC if you really want to try it.
Vegan Gourmet, mozzarella, cheddar and nacho cheese: In my opinion (and the  opinion of many others, as evidenced by it winning VegNews' award for best vegan cheese in 2005), this is the best vegan cheese on the market.  The mozzarella has a creamy, soft texture that actually resembles fresh  mozzarella. The cheddar is a little closer to American in flavor and  texture, but has a sharpness to it that I find irresistible enough to  eat by the slice. The nacho cheese is ideal for nachos or giving grilled  cheese sandwiches a bit of kick. The best part is that all of the flavors actually melt superbly; it's a little more liquidy than Daiya, though not as extreme as Tofutti. Vegan Gourmet available almost everywhere I shop (QFC, Whole Foods, the local food co-op), though is significantly more expensive at the regular supermarket. Definitely buy.
Vegan Rella, mozzarella  flavor: I cannot get over the smell of this stuff. I can’t put my finger  on what exactly it is that I find so repulsive, but something about its  odor activates my gag reflex. The sticky, slimy texture upon removing  it from the packaging is also off-putting. The taste is passable, though  strikes me as very artificial; if sort of reminds me of yogurt that may  or may not be past its expiration date. In its solid state, Vegan Rella  has a mild flavor and creamy mouthfeel that is well-suited to crackers  or rice cakes. Melted, it turns into a runny opaque fluid that I really  can only compare to forms of bodily discharge that have no place on a  food blog. AVOID.
WayFare,  out of Bozeman, MT, may be a new contender on the market. They had a booth,  though no samples, at VegFest this past weekend, and are starting to gather  buzz in the vegan food blogging community. I haven't had the opportunity to sample their wares yet, but will approach with an open mind.
These are by no means not the only vegan cheese on the market; my favorite vegan pizza joint uses Teese, which is difficult to find in stores. You can find small, artisan cheeses in shops that cater heavily to vegans. And, if you're really adventurous, you can make your own.
I'm always looking the try new vegan cheeses, so what's your favorite?

Comments:
Jessie (Vegan-m...
April 13, 2010

I just tried Daiya (and blogged about it) a few days ago and I was completely blown away. It is definitely the best vegan cheese as far as I'm concerned. Awesome for grilled cheese sandwiches!
Helen Pitlick

Sweet post Jessie! (http://veganmindedblog.com/2010/04/10/dreaming-of-daiya/) Great documentation of Daiya's stretchiness. I really hope my local Whole Foods starts carrying it soon!
Nathan Reagan

Thanks for sharing. I have stayed away from most substitutes because I don't trust them so its great to get an overview of the ones I should consider trying.
Chris

In Charlie Trotter's cookbook Raw- he has recipes for both a Cashew Cheese and a Rawmesan. Not being a Vegan, I haven't had the burning desire to make them myself- but I may, just to see .........
My biggest gripe with vegan cheese? the melting factor.
Eco-Vegan Gal

OMG - wait until you try WayFare We Can't Say It's Cheese - out of this world! Daiya remains my favorite vegan cheese, but WayFare is an awesome dip. I'm addicted to the Hickory flavor - yum!
helen

Yeah, I actually should post a revision: I picked up a tub of WayFare's cheddar spread over the weekend (was sooo giddy when I learned that Sidecar for Pigs Peace here in Seattle carries it) and it's AWESOME!!! I've already gone through most of a tub and it's only been 3 days. Who would have thought that something oat-based could taste so much like cheese, right?
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