Vegan Cheese
Why vegan cheese?
When I became vegan, the food I missed the most was cheese. And this is the case with most people going vegan. Why?
As it happens, dairy cheeses are very addictive. The casein protein in milk, concentrated in cheese is very hard to give up. In fact, it has similar addictive properties as some drugs … but without the high, of course. And the more you eat, the more you crave it.
For a long time, I did without cheese. Then several years ago there were ‘alternatives to cheese’ coming onto the market. I tried them. Some were edible, others not so much.
The Start
With all my dabbling in cooking, veganizing all type of recipes and realizing that vegan food without dairy was actually very good and so healthy, why not vegan cheese. After planting the seed in my culinary mind, I started looking into it.
I wanted to re-create that tangy taste natural cheesy taste. After a little research I came to understand that the process of turning dairy milk into cheese was through fermentation. Could this be done with plant food? It can and it was, several people were already making it and some with quite a bit of success.
I tasted vegan cheeses from Blue Heron Creamery in Vancouver Canada, some from Omage ‘aux Fromage’ in Belgium and an interested one in Ireland, from Flying Squirrel …all interested, all cultured and fermented.
I decided to try my hand at this vegan cheese making.
My aim was to make a hard cheese, like cheddar or Manchego. To test the cultures, I first made cream cheese. Then spent many months making dryer, harder and aged cheeses.
Somehow I kept coming back to the cream cheese. My dear wise wife one day looked at me and said,
” If the cream cheese works so well, why are you trying other things? make the cream cheese!”
Cultured & Fermented
It makes all the difference.
The fermentation’s the thing. When cultures are added to a medium, with a little time and controlled temperature, the nature of the carbohydrates / sugars change. The result is a unique and desirable tangy taste.
It also helps preserve the food.
Vegan Cream Cheese
We want choice in our food. Why? Perhaps because we are all individuals and each of us have our own tastes, likes and dislikes.
My mother said, “you should have three types” … so I took her advice, highly recommended.
My initial flavour was garlic & chives, to me, irresistible. Someone said, you should have a plain one so it can be eaten savoury or with sweet things, so I did. And to make up the third choice, I thought of smoked paprika & onion. A friend really liked it, so that was settled.
Natural
– Filtered water ( to make the cream )
– Cultures
– Sea salt
Garlic & Chives
– Filtered water ( to make the cream )
– Cultures
– Sea salt
– Organic garlic & chives
Cracked Black
– Organic cashew nuts
– Filtered water ( to make the cream )
– Cultures
– Sea salt
– Organic cracked black pepper
Smoked Paprika
– Organic cashew nuts
– Filtered water ( to make the cream )
– Cultures
– Sea salt
– Organic smoked paprika
Stockists of Hungry Soul Vegan Cheese
The Cheese Press – Ennistymon
Meanwell – Ennis
Open Sesame – Ennis
The Cheese Press – Doolin
The Grainey – Scarriff
The Health Connection – Ennis
Eats of Eden – City centre
Nature’s Hand – Castletroy SC
Nature’s Hand – Dooradoyle – Crescent SC
Sonas Health Foods – Newcastle West – Co. Limerick
Grá – Dingle
Horan’s Health Store – Listowel
Kingdom Food and Wine Store – Tralee
Rustic Bowa – Tralee
The Little Cheese Shop – Tralee
The Organic Store – Milltown
Ventry Post Office – Ventry
From The Ground Up – Tubbercurry
Kate’s Kitchen – City centre
Pudding Row – Easky
Wellness Shop – Sligo
Wild Rocket – Ballina
This Must Be the Place – Westport
New Leaf – Charleville
Capabu – Millstreet
New Leaf – Kanturk
Quay Coop – Ballincollig
Quay Coop – Sullivan’s Quay – Cork
The Good Food Shop – English Market – Cork
An Tobairin – Bandon
The Olive Branch – Clonakilty
Organico – Bantry
Well & Good – Midelton
The Health Store – Briarhill, Galway City
Evergreen Healthfoods – Moycullen
Replenish – Moycullen
Sullivan’s Grocer – Oughterard
Evergreen Healthfoods – Knocknacarra
Evergreen Healthfoods – Galway Shopping Centre
Evergreen Healthfoods – Mainguard Street
Evergreen – Oranmore
Siar – Kinvara
Open Sesame – Gort
Small Changes – Inchicore
The Hopsack – Rathmines
The Fumbally – The Liberties
Nature’s Gold – Greystones
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What people are saying about our cheese.
” … Wow ! This is sooooo good”.
Michelle, after her first taste of Garlic & Chives
“… I ate them all myself and did not even share 😉 … I NEED MORE, please,”. Julie, Wickham Way
” … Mmmmmn,” followed by a long silent pause , “I would not know this was vegan, it tastes just like other cream cheese.”. Cesar, Chef of Republic of Grill
” … this is the best vegan cheese I have ever tasted.”. Pablo ( from Chile visiting Ireland )