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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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
4-24-2006 @ 1:14PM
Heidi said...
I think this is the best cheese for omlettes! Real cheese is too high in calories/fat for my everday omlettes (egg substitute, mushrooms, green onions, TJ cheddar soy cheese) and the lowfat kraft not only tastes like chemicals, but all the juice runs out when it melts. This soy cheese melts perfectly and is good for when its not the highlighted ingredient. Now if only they would bring back the american cheese version - i always thought it was better than the cheddar, but good old TJs pulled it from the shelf and I havent seen it since.
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4-24-2006 @ 2:20PM
margalit said...
It might be unremarkable, but for those that keep a Kosher home, it's the difference between not being able to eat certain staples like chicken enchiladas, pasta with meat sauce and fake parmisian cheese, 'cheese' burgers, etc. We've used soy cheeses for years and although they are indeed unremarkable in taste, texture or flavor, they do make so many more choices available to our Kosher family. So I say Kudos to soy cheeses.
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