If you are going to try Veganuary this year, you might be worried about missing out on cheese. It is one of the most common concerns people have before going vegan…’but, cheese!’ Infinity Foods stocks one of the largest ranges of vegan cheeses there is, so don’t worry, you will find at least a few that you really enjoy. Here is a breakdown of all the cheese you can find at Infinity Foods to help you choose the right one.
Violife
This range of cheese comes in blocks, slices and cream cheeses in many flavours and is our biggest seller in the vegan cheese department. The pizza block is the most popular of the Violife family. It melts well on pizza, but is also nice on sandwiches or rolls. The texture of Violife is quite firm and slightly rubbery (in a good way) and reminiscent of a typical processed dairy cheese. It comes in original, cheddar, smoked, herb, pizza and mozzarella blocks. The original, cheddar and smoked flavours also come in slices, ready to use in sandwiches. Violife also make a cream cheese, which is a nice spreadable that works really well on a lightly toasted bagel. The newest addition to the Violife cheese family is an imitation Parmesan block. A hard, Italian style cheese that grates finely, just like a traditional Parmesan. It’s great in a risotto or a vegan Caesar salad and is strong in flavour so you don’t need to use too much of it.
Vegusto cheeses are considered more of a deli style vegan cheese. They are full of flavour and have a firm but somewhat crumbly texture, just like a vintage dairy cheese. There are a few flavours to choose from like piquant, herb and even a blue style, which go nicely on a platter with fruits and crackers. This brand is popular for occasions when you want to eat a really good quality cheese and the piquant is ideal for a ‘wine and cheese’ night. Vegusto also make what they call ‘No Muh Melty’, a cheese that is great for making your own macaroni cheese or even a fondue. It’s saucy and gooey, just like melty cheese should be.
Sheese
Made by Bute Island Foods in Scotland, Sheese is one of the original vegan cheeses. The range of flavours include the only Greek feta style that is available. It is firm, salty and crumbly – just perfect for a Greek salad. I drizzle a little lemon juice over it before adding it to the salad which enhances its feta-i-ness! Bute Island Foods also make a Wensleydale style with cranberries, Wensleydale style with caramelised red onion, White Cheddar and Red Cheddar. There are a few flavours of Creamy Sheese including herb and garlic, cheddar and my favourite, chive, which is really nice on crackers or toast.
Tofutti
Tofutti make the most popular cream cheeses that come in herb and garlic flavour as well as Original. With some capers and cucumber slices on a bagel, either of the flavours work really well. The original is closest in flavour and texture to dairy cream cheese so it works brilliantly in a cheesecake. My personal favourite is the original Tofutti on toast with some strawberry jam. Tofutti also make a product called Sour Supreme, which is a sour cream alternative perfect for topping nachos or tacos. It also works really well added to a pan with some sautéed mushrooms, making a tangy, creamy pasta sauce.
Follow Your Heart
The makers of Follow Your Heart are well known for their incredible Vegenaise, a delicious egg-free mayo, but they also make mozzarella and cheddar shreds. These vegan cheeses which come in a bag ready grated, are quite mild in flavour and make great toasted/grilled cheese sandwiches.
Cheezly
Cheezly is a brand made by VBites, a company which also make a wide variety of vegan meat substitutes. They have a range of cheeses to suit different folk for different reasons, like a soya-free block for those who can’t eat soya. Their mozzarella is my personal favourite for making pizza. Cheezly also comes in White cheddar, Blue, Pepperjack, and Edam which all have their own distinct flavours. The Pepperjack is great to use as part of a cheese platter or on a roll with lettuce, tomato and avocado.
Veganic
The newest member of our vegan cheese range is a grated alternative to dairy cheese recommended for topping pizzas and pasta. Its fine shreds melt really easily and the bonus of having it already grated means it goes a little further than those you have to grate yourself. Although it’s fairly new to Infinity Foods, it has become very popular, very quickly, which is a sign of a really good product.
Mozzarisella
This log of cheese is made with fermented brown rice which makes it very different from the majority of vegan cheeses that are available. Made in the same fashion as its dairy counterpart, it has an original and smoked variety. They work really nicely with slices of tomato and fresh basil leaves, drizzled with good extra virgin olive oil and balsamic vinegar, a traditional and simple salad that highlights the flavours and textures of all the ingredients.
So as you can see, there is no reason to miss out on cheese during Veganuary! Try as many as you can, find the ones you love and maybe you will want to continue eating them long after January is over.