How is Vegan Cheese Made and What Do We Use?
July 10th, 2021
Oh, the world of non-dairy cheese! Whether you’re vegan, lactose intolerant, or want to try an alternative, it’s a great way to make your diet more simple or sustainable. Vegan cheese is essential in our SoBe Vegan kitchens. It’s mostly used as a topping on our Burgers, Chick’n Sandwiches, and Breakfast Bowls. Other items, like our Mac & Cheese, feature it as the main ingredient! Because of its starring role in our dishes (and your curiosity), we’re here to overview the ingredients and process that make it taste like the real thing.
How Is It Made?
Vegan cheese has been around since the 1980s. But the quality and variety has improved significantly in recent years. This is due to a skyrocketing demand for plant-based alternatives. Ingredients can range from nuts to vegetable oil to nutritional yeast. Along with what you’re using, preparation will vary depending on what type of consistency you want for your cheese. Extra spices can also be added to have a more traditional cheese taste, as Audrey Enjoli’s article points out.
What Do We Use?
Here at SoBe Vegan, we use Daiya’s Provolone and Cheddar Cheeses. For newcomers, Daiya is a Canada-based dairy alternative food company in Vancouver, British Columbia. Andre Kroecher and Greg Blake established the company in 2008. Their products’ main ingredients are cassava and arrowroot, which give them a melting, stretching, cheese-like consistency. Their plant-based products are great for the following reasons:
- Cholesterol Free
- Trans Fat Free
- Dairy Free
- Vegan
- Free of Allergens Such as Soy, Gluten, Eggs, Peanuts, and Tree Nuts
- Free of Artificial Ingredients
- Preservative-Free
- Free of Hormones & Antibiotics
- Kosher
Another great company we source from is Follow Your Heart. They provide us with our American and Parmesan Cheeses. They are a vegan and vegetarian food company established in 1970 in Canoga Park, California. Seven years later, they began selling their famous Vegenaise, an egg-free mayonnaise substitute. Similar to Daiya, their plant-based products are vegan and gluten-free. Their cheese does differ a bit from the Canadian company as listed below:
- Free of nuts, sesame, mustard, soy and celery
- Sulfite free
- Non-GMO
- Kosher
Why Else Should I Eat Vegan Cheese?
Non-dairy cheese provides a sustainable impact on the environment. For example, Follow Your Heart does this in a number of different ways like cutting down on their waste. These cheeses also provide our bodies with healthy energy, calcium and vitamins, as well as probiotic bacteria that’s good for your gut! Who would have thought changing one tasty food for another could help both ourselves and our surroundings?
With this in mind, you’ll feel good as you preview our menu either online or in person. Our breakfast bowls, hamburgers, or cheese sauce are bound to be a hit to satisfy your hunger and boost the health of our world! Come over soon and taste how great vegan cheese can be!