FOUND: A Mo Betta Chedda!

After much investigation, some tasty (and some quite disgusting) I am finally ready to post my results for the best tasting vegan cheddar alternative.

Here are the contestants.


I tested each cheddar in 3 categories.

Cold, as is, right out of the package, on a cracker.
(I was lucky enough to have a helper test this one.  Dominic, my 10 year old nephew helped with this taste test)


Meltability and stretch, on pizza.


Mixability and creaminess, in macaroni and cheese.


Each cheese was scored on taste compared to "real" cheddar, creaminess, and overall taste and texture, and I also gave info on availability and cost.  Scores were based on a scale of 1 to 5, 5 being the best.

The results: (Click on the image to take you to Flickr wher you can make it larger and easier to read!)

In addition to the results above, I will add that I most commonly buy Daiya, Wayfare, and Sheese.  Once testing was over, I threw away the Vegan Rella, Rice Vegan and Soy Vegan.  I would never, ever, ever buy those again.  I'd rather just go without, or make my own from scratch. 

And to be fair, the best mac and cheese (using fake cheese) was made last night using the leftover Daiya, Teese, Sheese, Vegan Gourmet, plus Tofutti Sour Cream, Tofutti Cream Cheese, Silk Creamer, and Earth Balance.  I know, ridiculous.  I did it in the name of research.

I would also like to add, as I did before, that I was only testing CHEDDAR flavors, and, in my opinion, the best imitation cheeses out there are not cheddar replacers...Dr. Cow (any flavor), Sheese Blue Cheese, Wayfare Hickory Smoked Spread, and any of the nut based home made cheeses out there blow all of these out of the water!

Mo Betta Chedda

I am now on a quest to find the best vegan cheddar available on the market.

Here's what I picked up today (all at one market!):


Clockwise from the top:
Galaxy Rice Vegan Cheddar, Daiya Shredded Cheddar (I may also add in a review of the block Daiya Cheddar as well), Follow Your Heart Vegan Gourmet Cheddar, Vegan Rella Cheddar, Teese Cheddar, Wayfare Cheddar, Galaxy Vegan Soy Cheddar

Still needed:

Sheese

Cheezly



Dr. Cow doesn't have a "cheddar" per se, so they won't be tested in this round, although I have had the Aged Cashew and Crystal Manna Algae Cheese and it is so good, so I thought I'd mention it here.


I am going to judge the different cheeses according to the following criteria:
Taste: Cold, alone, right out of the package on a cracker.
Taste: Cold sandwich with Tofurkey or Yves Slices and Vegenaise
Taste: Hot on a simple grilled cheese with Earth Balance
Meltability: On pizza of course!
Stretch: On same pizza
Mixability: In mac and cheese
Availability and Cost: Is it easy to find and is it a good value for your hard earned buck?
Overall Performance and Taste

So, with all of these cheeses to taste and test, it may be a week or 2 before I post the final results, but until then, save your money and make your own cheese!  Home made tastes better than ANY of the store bought ones anyhow, right?

Nutty Cheese
Appears in 500 Vegan Recipes:




*Soy Free
*Gluten Free
Nonstick cooking spray
1 ounce (28 g) agar flakes or powder
3 cups (705 ml) water
2 cups (275 g) raw cashews, finely ground into a powder
3 tablespoons (45 ml) fresh lemon juice
2 tablespoons (30 ml) sesame oil (olive oil will work too)
1/4 cup (30 g) nutritional yeast
2 teaspoons fine sea salt
1/2 teaspoon onion powder
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder

Prepare a loaf pan (or other deep rectangular container) by lightly oiling or spraying with cooking spray.
Place agar in water and bring to a full boil, boil for 5 minutes. Whisk regularly.
Place all other ingredients into a food processor and blend smooth.
Pour into the water-agar mixture and mix until creamy and smooth, remove from heat. Quickly pour into an oiled loaf pan and refrigerate until hardened.

Yield: 1 loaf

Variations: Add fresh herbs and spices to the mix. If you want a Mediterranean flavored cheese, add about 8 chopped sun dried tomatoes and 5 or 6 chopped leaves of fresh basil. If you want a Mexican flavored cheese, add one teaspoon of cumin and 6 or 7 chopped up pieces of nacho sliced, jarred jalapenos. If you want a smoky cheese, add a little bit, 1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon, of liquid smoke flavoring. It’s limitless!

Broken Promises

To start off, I am breaking my promise to not mention Daiya for the rest of 'mofo. Why? Because today I procured about 2 pounds worth of "Block Cheddar." Thinking that this has to be the most amazing find ever, I brought it home. My drive home was anxious, as the smell drifted out of my bag, despite the tight wrapping of said block. My car reeked of CHEESE. Not of fake-smelling-weird-chemical-cheese, but it stank of the real deal! This only made my anticipation worse. I cut off a slice about 1/4 inch thick. I cut that slice into 6 rectangles. I got out 4 saltine crackers. Placed 4 pieces on the crackers, leaving 2 unadorned pieces to savor on their own. Took an eager bite of one of the lonely chunks. Nearly spit it out. Not good. Actually, it tasted quite like I remember cheddar, but the texture definitely left something to be desired. I placed the 2nd lonely piece on another cracker, knowing I would not eat it cold and alone. Still, not good at all. I was beginning to get depressed. I placed the remaining 4 cheese and crackers on a plate and zapped them in the microwave for 30 seconds...guess what?



PERFECTION!!!

I sincerely recommend the following:

DO NOT eat Daiya Block Cheddar cold, on it's own, or on a cracker.

DO enjoy it on a grilled cheese, or other toasty sandwich, or any other place you'd enjoy a thick, melty, gooey, stretchy bit of cheese.

DO continue to enjoy the shredded variety on pizza, in mac and cheese, tossed in a salad, or any other way you can think of to use it.

The key (for me, anyways) to enjoying Daiya, is to melt it.