I have my suspicions when it comes to cheese substitutes or alternatives. Cheese is a dairy product, through and
through, and I don't think that making a comparison to "real" cheese with any alternative "cheese"
is really fair. A non-dairy "cheese" should be evaluated on its own merits of flavor and texture, not as
though it were cheese, but as though it is similar to cheese.
I was a little reluctant, but my curiousity about the alternative cheese one out in the end and I bought a package at Trader Joe's. I went with the sliced, packaged variety because it seemed as though it might not be all that different from the sliced, packaged "cheese food." As it turns out, I was right in my assumption. The soy cheese from Trader Joe's does taste a lot like the processed cheese, if perhaps a bit more bland. Does it taste like cheddar? No, and it's not bad, just unremarkable.
Since April is Grilled Cheese Month, I figured that I would also try melting the cheese. After all, isn't that what cheese slices are made for? I sandwiched the cheese between two slices of multi-grain bread and popped it into a heated frying pan. A few minutes later, I pulled out a golden, tasted sandwich that looked to be full of melted cheese. The soy cheese actually melts surprisingly well! It didn't have a tremendous amount of flavor and could probably have used a touch more salt, but I was reasonably pleased with my "cheese." If I were using it in conjunction with another flavor, or if I wanted a non-dairy cheese for some other reason, I would buy it again. This brand is not vegan, though, so it's still not a good choice for all vegetarians.
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