Like you say, trial and error. I've trialled, and errored. Boy have I errored. For now, I have found in Australia the perfect mozzarella-ish cheese, as well as the perfect sour cream, cream cheese, and a delicious tasty version. I use them sparingly, but life is somehow better when they are available for me to use in my cooking.
I purposely avoided naming names for a couple of reasons. It's a personal perspective. It's also quite regional. I'm in rural Victoria, but it's very localised, as you would probably already know.
So, here goes.
Vegan Life make a very nice mozzarella like cheese. It's made in Greece. Green Vie make a good parmisan cheese, also from Greece. And my favourite, Lauds make an excellent melting cheddar type cheese. They are based in Tasmania where their cheese is made. All these brands may be available in the big duopoly chains, but as i rarely go in there I'm only guessing. The supermarket I find these cheeses is Foodworks, in Gisborne. Other Foodworks, not so much. Foodworks in Gisborne have an extensive range of vegan products, on purpose. Separate from the general products. I suspect someone in management is vegan, but I don't know, and I dont really care. I've been disappointed before by retailers discontinuing products because there is deemed a smaller demand, and self space has a price.
I hope my information, which is hella subjective, is nonetheless of some use to you. If nothing else, you could ask your local store to stock these things, but it doesn't mean they will be bought. Good luck.
I appreciate that info! A lot of great vegan cheeses come out of Greece it seems. Violife and BioCheese/MyLife Bio too. You're right, the product availability differs greatly based on location. I do look for international brands to recommend people for this reason - I think "Sheese" is an example, maybe "Miyoko's" or "Daiya", and "Vitasoy" for tofu. Not sure though. I believe I've heard Green Vie recommended before. I'll look into these brands, thanks again.
Cheers. The other one i forgot to mention was Bio Creamy sour cream. Its also available in coles. It is by far the best source cream I've found. Coconut based, but not so coconutty. It holds together well too, resisting the urge to separate. Hope this helps.
Research paper: Psychological differences and similarities between vegans, prospective vegans, and vegetarians. Motivation, knowledge, vegan literacy – and cheese
Like you say, trial and error. I've trialled, and errored. Boy have I errored. For now, I have found in Australia the perfect mozzarella-ish cheese, as well as the perfect sour cream, cream cheese, and a delicious tasty version. I use them sparingly, but life is somehow better when they are available for me to use in my cooking.
For a long time all I could get was violife in health shops. I learned less is more and appreciate the new products available more so.
Plus, brands come and go. Often because they're imported. It's always a thrill to find something that hasn't travelled 12,000kms to get here.
Would you mind sharing the brands that worked for you? Thanks 💚
Hi VFJ.
I purposely avoided naming names for a couple of reasons. It's a personal perspective. It's also quite regional. I'm in rural Victoria, but it's very localised, as you would probably already know.
So, here goes.
Vegan Life make a very nice mozzarella like cheese. It's made in Greece. Green Vie make a good parmisan cheese, also from Greece. And my favourite, Lauds make an excellent melting cheddar type cheese. They are based in Tasmania where their cheese is made. All these brands may be available in the big duopoly chains, but as i rarely go in there I'm only guessing. The supermarket I find these cheeses is Foodworks, in Gisborne. Other Foodworks, not so much. Foodworks in Gisborne have an extensive range of vegan products, on purpose. Separate from the general products. I suspect someone in management is vegan, but I don't know, and I dont really care. I've been disappointed before by retailers discontinuing products because there is deemed a smaller demand, and self space has a price.
I hope my information, which is hella subjective, is nonetheless of some use to you. If nothing else, you could ask your local store to stock these things, but it doesn't mean they will be bought. Good luck.
I appreciate that info! A lot of great vegan cheeses come out of Greece it seems. Violife and BioCheese/MyLife Bio too. You're right, the product availability differs greatly based on location. I do look for international brands to recommend people for this reason - I think "Sheese" is an example, maybe "Miyoko's" or "Daiya", and "Vitasoy" for tofu. Not sure though. I believe I've heard Green Vie recommended before. I'll look into these brands, thanks again.
Cheers. The other one i forgot to mention was Bio Creamy sour cream. Its also available in coles. It is by far the best source cream I've found. Coconut based, but not so coconutty. It holds together well too, resisting the urge to separate. Hope this helps.
Treeline and Rebel Cheese are great options for artisanal, cream cheese, ricotta and more 🌱🧀
The cheese paradox: How do vegetarians justify consuming non-meat animal products?
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0195666323024388
Untangling the dairy paradox: How vegetarians experience and navigate the cognitive dissonance aroused by their dairy consumption
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0195666324004951
Research paper: Psychological differences and similarities between vegans, prospective vegans, and vegetarians. Motivation, knowledge, vegan literacy – and cheese
https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/psychology/articles/10.3389/fpsyg.2024.1163869/full