For the few years when I was vegetarian before I went vegan, I ate a lot of cheese. I really liked it. I thought it would be super hard to give up, and it was at first. By now it just tastes vaguely rotten, but for a while it was enticing.
There actually are a few vegan cheese products that I like. I use tofutti american cheese style slices to make grilled cheese sandwiches, and I use “follow your heart” brand mozzarella for pizzas and the like. Neither of these comes close to the real thing–anyone who thinks they do is fooling themselves. But they serve their purpose for a few recipes rather nicely.
So, I had some hope that I would get some joy out of the 8 oz of “Sheese” I bought for $9.25 at a vegan grocery store in town. I got the “strong cheddar” style. The texture looks normal enough–maybe a bit waxy looking. It also sliced up nicely–good texture. Unfortunately it tasted, well, appalling. Some vegan products are pretty good but have a strange aftertaste. This one tasted awful at the beginning, middle, and end of the bite. The flavor was something like funky nutritional yeast with some sugar added.
Maybe I’m exaggerating a little. I revisited it a few times, trying to like it, but each time it sort of make me make an involuntary grimace. As to how it matches up to the real thing? C, who enjoys real cheese on occasion (and the afore mentioned vegan varieties I regularly cook with), had to spit it out and wash out her mouth.
The company does make many other variaties–and maybe some of them might taste good. But for ten bucks a pop, I’m not likely to.
Anyone have any experience with the other flavors?
