So....little confused about some things. For a while now I have been using soy cheeses and rice cheeses instead of real cheese, but I just recently found out by reading the ingredients ( duh!!! ) that there is animal products used in them sometimes. Why would someone have a soy or rice cheese if they were going to have milk products in it anyway. Can anyone explain this? The woman at the health food store tried to explain that companies use it so that the cheese melts. So I bought the vegan cheddar and moz, but i tried to eat the cheddar and it was the most disgusting thing I have ever eaten in my life. I almost barfed. Sorry but it was so bad. Anyone know of any sliced cheese brands that taste ok. I put them on my sandwiches for lunch. Maybe I will just make pb&js from now on. Oh just thinking about that cheese:spew: (ive been waiting to use that one, hehe )

:bobo: K

I think toffutti do slices that are vegan. (at least in the uk).

I think the problem is that the cheeses weren't made for vegans but for those who are lactose intolerant? (I heard that on here ages ago).

Redwood foods (UK again..sorry!) do vegan 'cheese' slices that are good.
I've heard people say that the Follow Your Heart vegan gourmet stuff is good, but I haven't tried it as I can't get it here.

sorry - there are no good vegan (non-casein) cheeses.

it took me a bit to realize this - Ive tried every brand.

Ive grown to accept this... :-/

I like Vegan Rella (rice based) mozza and cheddar cheese. I grate it in quesadillas and stuff and it melts and there are NO animal ingredients. Very yummy!

Well I've heard some good things about Tofutti slices but never tried them myself. Follow your heart makes some good block cheeses that most vegans agree is the best approximation to real cheese (especially with regards to melting) but I can't speak from personal experience here either. I've been somewhat successful making my own cheese like substitutes and if you feel inclined, I'd suggest "The Uncheese Cookbook" as a great resource for homemade vegan cheeses. If you're most interested in sandwhich replacements I've taken a liking to avacados as it has the mouthfeel and texture reminiscent of cheese (from the fat) and a lot healthier too. Try experimenting with different spreads, you might find something you've never tried that you'll love (for me it was baba ganoush).

Also for vegan block cheese, at least in the "mozzerella" flavor, I've found veganrella to be amazing.

does anyone know any chain grocery stores that have the veganrella? Also, does vegan cheese tend to taste better when cooked. Maybe if i cook mine it wont go to waste. I got the moosehouse cookebook too, i think that is what it is called....ill check that for recipes. Thanx

:bobo: K

I get Redwood brand Cheezly here in the UK, but I found that vegan cheese tastes WAY better grated really fine (almost to a powder) and heated in a panini than it does cold on a cracker or in a cold sandwich. Even if it doesn't melt (it gets gooey not stringy) the warm tastes better to me than cold. Cold slices have a weird texture.

I totally agree.
Sadly if you liked having a chunk of cheese with fruit and crackers and are looking to replicate that you can forget it.
You need to learn to treat it differently.

For example, do toasted 'cheese' but rather than just toast and cheese, put marmite/vegemite on the toast, then put slices of 'cheese' on and plonk it under the grill until the marmite bubbles up.

I have to say that the rice based 'cheese' slices are good though. They seem to react in the way that most processed cheese slices do - so, great for on burgers etc.

OK, im glad that its better warm.....i wanted it for sandwiches but I can buy a veggie sprpead instead. There is a really good one at my local store. I never thought about having that on a sandwich. Awesome...

:bobo: K

wholefoods has it.

Awesome, I have one within 30 min from me. Ill have to check it out.

:bobo: K

sorry - there are no good vegan (non-casein) cheeses.

it took me a bit to realize this - Ive tried every brand.

Ive grown to accept this... :-/

Ah, have you tried Vegan Gourmet? I used to think there was no such thing as good vegan cheese...until I tried Vegan Gourmet. I'm pretty much addicted to it now. :lick:

Three things:

1) I am not an animal rights activist but I prefer non-dairy cheese because I am lactose intolerant. If that little bit of casein or whatever has lactose in it, it's not enough to make me sick because I never have problems with it. I do agree though that it would be more beneficial to the companies and to us to make the cheese vegan. They'd suddenly be appealing to whole new additional audience.

2) When I decided to stop eating meat and cheese, vegan cheese was one of the biggest disappointments and the biggest blessings for me. Disappointment in that it tasted usually awful and was NOT anything at all like real cheese. Blessing in that this awfulness broke my addiction to cheese and made me look at food in a whole new way. Filling the hole cheese left opened up a new world of cuisine to me and made me more open minded to try new things.

3) I haven't dabbled excessively in vegan cheeses, but I do LOVE Amy's Soy Cheese pizzas and pizza pockets. They're in the only situation in which I enjoy soy cheese, and I actually think they taste better than real cheese. I'm not sure if they're vegan though.

Some people go for the non-vegan mock cheeses for health reasons. I've not had much enjoyment with vegan cheese, but I have not tried too many, nor have I ever been a big cheese fan. I've had Mac and Chrees (sp?) a vegan macaroni and cheese that wasn't bad, but the price is counter to the lure of macaroni and cheese. Kinda like ramen noodles that costs more than twenty cents.

Why would someone have a soy or rice cheese if they were going to have milk products in it anyway. Can anyone explain this? :bobo: K

I was confused at first too, and just learned about cheeses from some people on VB. Most regular cheeses are not vegetarian because they are made with rennet, a product from the stomach of a calf. This is the reason for the veggie/soy cheeses. They are vegetarian because they are not made with rennet in them, but not vegan (because of the casein that is a dairy product), hence they also make completely vegan cheese w/o the casein.
Galaxy Nutritional Foods makes veggy and vegan cheese that is pretty good. you just need to taste it not expecting it to be something it's not, just it's own thing with its own taste. The Whole Foods in Manhattan has them, so maybe the one near you will. Hope that helped

Some people go for the non-vegan mock cheeses for health reasons. I've not had much enjoyment with vegan cheese, but I have not tried too many, nor have I ever been a big cheese fan. I've had Mac and Chrees (sp?) a vegan macaroni and cheese that wasn't bad, but the price is counter to the lure of macaroni and cheese. Kinda like ramen noodles that costs more than twenty cents.

Oh I love Mac and chreese. IT is really good if you make it with melted vegan butter (I use Earth Balance) instead of a 'milk' product, in my experience. (But my 'milk' product of choice is almond milk, so maybe that is why it tasted funky. I don't know.)
It also reheats much better than regular mac and cheese after being refridgerated, and still tastes good.

I think cheese is nasty. I don't even understand why people want to find a replacement for it. Yuck!!!

I gave up on cheese.. I just realise that vegan cheese has a flavor of its own and that i like it. :lick:

What a cute little pumpkin you have Pugvet! Aw!

What a cute little pumpkin you have Pugvet! Aw!
Thanks Regina! He is my sweet puggie "George". If only he would stop peeing in my house!!! Lucky for him, that he is so cute, or he would be a homeless little pumpkin! LOL!

Thanks Regina! He is my sweet puggie "George". If only he would stop peeing in my house!!! Lucky for him, that he is so cute, or he would be a homeless little pumpkin! LOL!

Our dog tends to do that when she is excited and someone pets her. It's not uncommon. My mom read it can also be an act of submission.

I'm pretty picky when it comes to the cheeses but toffutti is about the only one I can deal with. It melts relatively well. There's another brand that I know Whole Foods carries that's not bad if you grate it onto pizza or something.. umm.. only the Monterey jack or mozz.. NOT the cheddar. It comes kinda like a block but it's not really solid (some of the vegan cheeses are so dry it's like a solid block of cardboard).