Since Veganuary was coined in 2014, in order to promote veganism, heads have been turning to discover more about living and eating healthily, as well as being socially conscious of the planet and animals.
For anyone vegan-curious, you must be wondering how significant the transition may be to go fully meat and dairy free.
The great news is that there are, in fact, a plethora of options for those who are planning to begin a plant-based diet.
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Within a range of alternatives, brings forth another food staple that might convince a skeptic to make the swap.
Vegans have taken on all forms of cheese from hard cheese, soft cheese, spreadables and everything in between.
So what happens when a dairy lover i.e me, decides to take a chance on vegan cheese? Will it taste like the real deal or will it fail to meet my expectations?
Here are some of my verdicts and which one I eventually crowned the winner out of the five I tried
1. M&S’s Plant Kitchen Sliced Mature Style Cheese
A coconut-based alternative to sliced mature style Cheddar cheese, upon viewing it, the item seemed at first to be the perfect addition to sandwiches and toasties. After all, Adele did once claim that M&S is her go-to supermarket, so now it has to be everyone’s favourite too.
I experimented with the sliced cheese in a grilled cheese toastie and immediately, I could smell the pungency of the cheese that filled my entire kitchen. Upon my first bite, the taste instantly drew me back, as it certainly tasted how it smelt. It was too strong for my liking and didn’t have the enjoyment of eating a toastie with mature cheddar cheese. Perhaps there could have been other alternatives to use the slices, but overall it just was not my cup of tea.
4/10
2. Lidl’s Vemondo Vegan Cheddar Style Cheese
Lidl and the Vemondo brand have come together to bless us again this Veganuary. As an obsessive Lidl shopper, I hoped that the vegan cheese would not let me down, as I was unaware of how it would look and taste when used in a grilled cheese toastie.
However, when melted, it was perfection and drizzled beautifully onto my sliced bread. Flavour wise, it certainly did meet my expectations. It’s bold hints of coconut oil stood out and blended in decently with the flavours, which utterly satisfied my cravings. I couldn’t help but go in for a second, third, fourth, and many more bites. My life was made.
Lidl definitely understood the assignment.
8/10
3. Violife Original Flavour Slices
So far throughout this month, I have seen Violife being heavily advertised so I felt compelled to try it for myself. I learned in advance that Violife has been a Greek-based brand that sold vegan, non-dairy food since the 1990s. So it’s definitely been around for a while.
Not only is it vegan, but it is 100 per cent kosher and also free from soya, gluten, lactose and nuts, for those wondering. I was uncertain how it would taste; however, in appearance, it melted great.
Although, the taste contrasted my entire prediction. Because I tasted absolutely nothing. It was a disappointment as reviews have raved about Violife and to me, it just was not it. Additionally, its texture felt like rubber in my mouth and while consisting of flavours that tasted as though I lost my sense of taste and smell. Nope.
3/10
4. Nurishh Plant Based Grated Cheddar and Mozzarella Style Blend
Out of all five, I was undoubtedly looking forward to trying this the most, as the combination of cheddar and mozzarella always sets my heart on fire. However, seeing that it was a plant based alternative, I was mentally preparing for anything at this point.
Despite looking sickly in appearance (I’m guessing my toastie machine got fed up), the results were pretty expected.
The cheese gave it the cheesy twist it would provide, although it would have been better had it been on a much more exciting dish such as a vegan taco, or pasta bake. The cheese had potential and had a lovely creamy texture to it. Despite ticking the boxes, its flavours didn’t excite as much as the Lidl cheese as it was much more mild, which is why I did score it slightly less. But I highly recommend the buy nonetheless.
6.5/10
5. Vitalite Dairy Free Slices
Lastly, we have Vitalite which was promoted as having a great tasting flavour either hot or cold and was officially approved by the Vegan Society.
As it had the vegan blessing, I wondered whether it would have the vegan thumbs-up from me.
As it turned out, it was even worse than what I expected. They were pants even straight off the packet and upon being melted to devour as a grilled cheese toastie, the slices were even plasticiky in taste.
Whoever said this tasted like your average American cheese was severely wrong. I wouldn’t even personally use this in my burger as it just tasted like a Babybel cheese gone sour. It’s a no from me.
1/10
Throughout this entire taste-test, I have crowned my personal best cheese out of the five I chose.
For me, the Lidl produced Vemondo brand of cheese had an exceptional imitation of dairy cheddar cheese that contained adequate creaminess, texture, and melt factor.
This taste test has ultimately incentivized me to think deeply about changing my ways of eating, and pushing myself out of my comfort zone for the betterment of my health and the planet.
I hope others can consider this and simply be adventurous with what they consume. You never know, you might also be a fan too.
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