Real Vegan Cheese

[Kaido]

Dr. Cow Aged Cashew Cheese
http://www.veganstore.com/product/dr-cow-cashew-vegan-cheese/vegan-cheese-and-dairy-alternatives

Ste Martaen
A gourmet vegan cheese alternative.
http://stemartaen.com

Can you vouch for either? Will try if so.

 

[mnewsham]

If you're lactose intolerant you can just go with goat cheese you know.

Unless you have milk allergy in which case 9 times out of 10 you will be allergic to goat milk too.

 

[vailr]

Can you vouch for either? Will try if so.

No, too expensive for my preferences. Those also require dry ice "cold packs" and 2 day UPS shipping, which increases the cost.
Home-made raw cashew cheese might be a cheaper way to go, but not something I've tried yet, either. Vegan Daiya cheese pizzas are available at several local pizza parlors, but aren't all that great tasting.

 

[Jeff7]

To those that have issues with cow milk, are you sure it's the milk and not the growth hormones? I get very sick if I eat commercial milk or cheese but I can eat all the organic gmo-free milk/cheese I want without any issues.

I think it's something that happens during pasteurization and/or homogenization. I usually only look at store brand milk, and it all says it's free of rBST. Whether it's organic or not doesn't matter.


I know this will sound a bit wacky or dangerous, but raw milk works just fine for me - not pasteurized, and not homogenized. It's tough to get though, and even illegal in some places. There have even been police raids done on farms that sell it, even though they plainly state what they're selling.
If it's collected hygienically, I don't think there's much to worry about. Pasteurizing is of course easier for industrial farms, especially back when the process was introduced. "Make it hot, and it won't make people sick."

Or maybe try cleaning the manure off of the teats and sanitize them prior to milking. Remember, we're the species that had doctors who would break from doing an autopsy to go deliver a baby, and then wonder why so many mothers and infants died a few days later. Germ theory wasn't always common knowledge.


Anyway, regular milk results in the generation of lots of gas and various other interesting materials in very unpleasant and inconvenient quantities.
I'm fairly sure it's not psychosomatic, otherwise I've got a brain that can spontaneously generate matter from nothing.
Lactase tablets sort of help, but they're not a 100% guarantee.


But raw milk is as benign as drinking water, at least as far as my intestines are concerned. I guess it helps with gut flora or some such thing, because for about 2 weeks afterward, store-bought milk also doesn't cause any problems.
*shrug*

I don't buy it frequently though - there's only one place I know of in the area that sells it, and driving all the way there and back again burns through at least 2 gallons of gas. I just don't really like going to a much trouble for anything related to food. (Put it this way: If I could instead absorb usable energy from a wall outlet, I'd gladly take that route.)

I saw the thread title and came in here to post the same thing. "Vegan certified cheese substitute."

Some vegans defy logic. "I don't like meat. But, I want something that tastes as close to a real hamburger as possible." In OP's case, lactose intolerance gives him a pass on this cheese substitute.

And, I hope the dairy council, or whoever, fights back if a product is named "cheese" rather than "cheese substitute."

It does seem to violate the spirit of the whole thing.
Not only the taste, but the texture is also mimicked.


I'm eager to see what they'll do when or if we're able to grow animal muscle tissue itself on an industrial scale.



.

 

[QueBert]

I use to do computer work for small office which were vegans. One day they asked if I wanted lunch, I knew my answer was no, but I wanted to be nice. So I ask what they were making

"buffalo wings and Ranch dip"

I figured I'd try them to see how close fake Chicken wings and pretend ranch taste compared to the real thing. Taste was not as bad as I expected, the chicken like stuff any ways. Texture sucked balls. The dipping sauce tasted nothing like ranch, it was awful. It was about the consistency of water and almost translucent in color. I had to laugh because they put a lot of work into making this meal. As others mentioned if you want to be a Vegan, be a Vegan. Don't waste your time making faux chicken wings it seems pointless.

I watched them eat and they were clearly enjoying them a lot. I chuckled at thinking how they would react to eating legit wings. Hell even piss poor wings would have sent their taste buds into overload. The whole thing kinda reminded me of being 7 and buying candy cigarettes from the ice cream man so I could smoke lol.

 

[rsbennett00]

I think it's something that happens during pasteurization and/or homogenization. I usually only look at store brand milk, and it all says it's free of rBST. Whether it's organic or not doesn't matter.


I know this will sound a bit wacky or dangerous, but raw milk works just fine for me - not pasteurized, and not homogenized. It's tough to get though, and even illegal in some places. There have even been police raids done on farms that sell it, even though they plainly state what they're selling.
If it's collected hygienically, I don't think there's much to worry about. Pasteurizing is of course easier for industrial farms, especially back when the process was introduced. "Make it hot, and it won't make people sick."

Or maybe try cleaning the manure off of the teats and sanitize them prior to milking. Remember, we're the species that had doctors who would break from doing an autopsy to go deliver a baby, and then wonder why so many mothers and infants died a few days later. Germ theory wasn't always common knowledge.


Anyway, regular milk results in the generation of lots of gas and various other interesting materials in very unpleasant and inconvenient quantities.
I'm fairly sure it's not psychosomatic, otherwise I've got a brain that can spontaneously generate matter from nothing.
Lactase tablets sort of help, but they're not a 100% guarantee.


But raw milk is as benign as drinking water, at least as far as my intestines are concerned. I guess it helps with gut flora or some such thing, because for about 2 weeks afterward, store-bought milk also doesn't cause any problems.
*shrug*

I don't buy it frequently though - there's only one place I know of in the area that sells it, and driving all the way there and back again burns through at least 2 gallons of gas. I just don't really like going to a much trouble for anything related to food. (Put it this way: If I could instead absorb usable energy from a wall outlet, I'd gladly take that route.)





It does seem to violate the spirit of the whole thing.
Not only the taste, but the texture is also mimicked.


I'm eager to see what they'll do when or if we're able to grow animal muscle tissue itself on an industrial scale.



.

I live about 5 minutes from a farm that sells raw milk for "pet consumption only" and the family has been doing it for generations. You have to take your own container and then they walk you to the barn and milk the cow into the bucket and pour it into your container, simple as that.

But again, these are GMO free cows, it's a family farm, they aren't about to mess with tradition.

 

[Jeff7]

I live about 5 minutes from a farm that sells raw milk for "pet consumption only" and the family has been doing it for generations.

Yup, that's what I've seen as well. Otherwise it's illegal. And even so, from time to time you'll get police raids on these places.
Big industry money makes sure their status quo stays that way.

You have to take your own container and then they walk you to the barn and milk the cow into the bucket and pour it into your container, simple as that.

But again, these are GMO free cows, it's a family farm, they aren't about to mess with tradition.

I haven't seen any that go direct from cow to container, though the cows are usually kept close by. The milk is either kept in a chilled stainless steel container and dispensed into containers from there, or else there's a refrigerator display with containers ready to go.
At least one farm I've been to will also let you got over into the next room over to check out the cows, if you're so inclined.

 

[Kaido]

No, too expensive for my preferences. Those also require dry ice "cold packs" and 2 day UPS shipping, which increases the cost.
Home-made raw cashew cheese might be a cheaper way to go, but not something I've tried yet, either. Vegan Daiya cheese pizzas are available at several local pizza parlors, but aren't all that great tasting.

Yeah, their pizzas are pretty much cardboard. Daiya does taste pretty good on homemade pizza, especially if you use a lot of fresh herbs and stuff like garlic salt.

I don't mind paying a bit extra for those cheeses if the product is good; the difficult thing is ordering them & finding out they're nasty haha. Since it's a rare treat for me to get a cheesy taste these days, the extra expense would be worth it for sure if they are good!

 

[Kaido]

Yup, that's what I've seen as well. Otherwise it's illegal. And even so, from time to time you'll get police raids on these places.
Big industry money makes sure their status quo stays that way.

Stuff like this cracks me up. We have homemade submarines carrying a billion dollars in drugs...and they're raiding places that sell raw milk. Marijuana is legal in Colorado, but watch out if you want to drink some fresh milk from the local farm!

 

[zinfamous]

I have a can of Kraft Easy Cheese in front of me, and it says pasteurized cheese right on the front of the can

What do your Kraft "Singles" say, oh lover of elephant asses and grapples?

 

[Kaido]

Gotta drink milk:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3UG1wMb2HsQ

 

[vailr]

Vegan Cashew Cheese 4-Pack - $50
http://vegancuts.com/offer/sunrawise-vegan-cheese-4-pack

 

[SandEagle]

sams club carries Kerrygold Irish cheese that is suitable for vegetarians. i believe it is made from plant based rennet. it is very good. try both varieties of it. dubliner and ballyshannon.

http://www.samsclub.com/sams/kerrygold-1-year-dubliner-cheese/prod5260022.ip
http://www.samsclub.com/sams/kerrygold-ballyshannon-cheese-bar-1-7-lbs/prod3160415.ip

 

[Centauri]

Some vegans defy logic. "I don't like meat. But, I want something that tastes as close to a real hamburger as possible."

Eh, not really. I don't know any vegetarians or vegans who are such because they don't like the taste of animal products. It's the negative health effects and/or the inhumane treatment of the animals that is the primary factor.

 

[db]

People have different reasons for eating non-dairy cheese. The good stuff is expensive.

 

[vailr]

sams club carries Kerrygold Irish cheese that is suitable for vegetarians. i believe it is made from plant based rennet. it is very good. try both varieties of it. dubliner and ballyshannon.

If it comes from a bovine, it contains lactose: it's not vegan.
Might qualify as being "ovo-lacto vegetarian" (allows for eggs & dairy dietary products), but the OP was talking about "vegan" cheese, not "vegetarian" cheese.