Fermented Cashew Cheese

Vegan Cashew Cheese

Choosing a vegan diet is a big step, and with that, you have to know the nutrition replacements to not only meat but also dairy products like cream and cheese. Whilst you can live without meat life without cheese is boring and especially a lovely aged fermented cashew cheese!

Vegan cheese is made from dry fruits, herbs, and natural plant-based resources. Cashew cheese has a variety of flavours, which all depends on the core ingredients used to make it and the preparation process.

Cashews are used to make cheese as they are naturally creamy and thick when blended, and there is no need for adding thickeners. Fermented cashew cheese mostly has a similar taste to goats cheese, as it is crumbly, soft, and has a touch of zesty lemon flavour.

Fermented Vs. Non-Fermented Cheese

Fermented Cheese

Fermented cheese is amongst the most commonly found cheese around the world. In the process of fermentation, the dairy product is kept at room temperature, before either being refrigerated or frozen. Live cultures of bacteria are added in the dairy item to make hard and soft cheese.

Fermented cheese made it possible to make the dairy product last for weeks to months. Renin or its substitute is added to make hard fermented cheese, and the bacteria cultures feed on lactose. It is essential to allow the bacteria to feed at cold temperatures, and throughout the fermentation process, the milk is kept at a low temperature. 

Non-fermented Cheese

Non-fermented cheese, on the other hand, is made by heating milk and adding acid (e.g., lemon juice) that forms curds and whey. The curd is strained, and when still moist, is used as cottage cheese. If you semi-dry and press it to remove liquid whey, it takes the form of paneer, an Indian cheese. Non-fermented cheese should be consumed right away.

Fermented Cashew Cheese and Fermented Cheese: A Comparison

When you consider switching from regular fermented cheese to plant-based cheese, such as a fermented cashew cheese, it often leads to confusion about which to try and what it will taste like. 

Vegan Cheese

The choice of vegan cashew cheese is the best option for those who have lactose intolerance. Your digestive health is improved because it has probiotics, and the nuts are very healthy for your body, bones, and brain health.

They are, however, higher in calories so if you are wanting to lose weight, consider the nutritional components and the amount that suits your diet best. The spreadable and soft cashew cheese helps you to lower cholesterol and saturated fats levels in your blood.

Vegan cheese is animal-free and uses vegetable and natural plant resources for manufacturing. The cheese is made from tapioca, arrowroot, agar, and peas. Mostly they are made from nuts (macadamia, cashew), soy, and even vegetable oils like coconut oil.

Vegan cashew cheese uses about two cups of cashews per item, and the plant proteins are separated from bacteria. Often coconut oil is added in small amounts to improve consistency and texture. Plant-based cheese is a recommended option as it has lower fat and protein value and is gluten-free, although it has a higher sodium level because it is a processed food item.

The nutritional components in fermented cashew cheese, like any cheese, are essential to consider when choosing the appropriate amount to eat. A serving of cashew cheese has about 98 calories, 6.4 g fat, 390 mg sodium, 6.2 g of carbohydrate, and 4.3 g of proteins.

Cream Cheese

Cream and gouda cheese can be compared to vegan cashew cheese as they have a soft and creamy texture. Cheam and cashew cheese can be used as a spread to top your sandwiches and French fries. Cheam cheese is delicious, and you can also add herbs and flavor agents to enhance the taste.

Considering the nutrient value of cream cheese in comparison is essential, though, as it has higher fat value and lower proteins. A portion of 100 g cream cheese has 342 calories (kcal), 4.1 g carbs, 5.9 g proteins, and 34.2 g fats. It has a higher calorie and fat value than the vegan cashew cheese.

Gouda Cheese

Gouda cheese has a variety of flavors, textures, and tastes, depending on the lenth of time it has aged, which varies from 1 to 6 months. The younger type of Gouda has a mild flavour, semi-hard texture, crumbly, and smooth.

A serving of 100 g of gouda cheese has about 356 calories, 27.4 g of fats, 2.2 g carbs, and 24.9 g of proteins.

Considering the nutritional value of fermented cheese and plant-based cheese, both have their pros and cons. If you have any food intolerance like dairy sensitivity, allergies, or lactose intolerance, it is worth considering vegan cashew cheese. It is also suggested that fermented cashew cheese is healthy for the planet because it does not produce carbon waste like the dairy industry as demonstrated in UNESCO’s report on the “Water Footprint of Farm Animals and Animal Products”.

Complimenting Meals and Condiments

Regular fermented cheese is used in almost all the meals, from steak to mac n cheese, burgers, pizza, and in sandwiches. What about the options for vegan cashew cheese? Choosing a vegan diet may seem like a challenging decision, but hold on; you will not be disappointed because here are the meals and condiments that you can pair with fermented cashew cheese so you can enjoy them even more.

Meals and Condiments

You can add cashew cheese as a spread on your sandwich, vegan bread and crackers to elevate your taste buds. If you are a Nacho or garlic bread lover, use the plant-based cheese as your perfect dip.

Vegan fermented cashew cheese is a substitute for regular fermented cheese, so you can make vegan pasta, macaroni and add your favourite vegan cheese to enrich the taste. With your olive or coconut oil in a salad, add cashew cheese as a dressing too. This will lift a boring salad with more flavour from the creamy and cheesy taste.

Add vegan cheese to your wraps, rolls, and as a side to go with your dry veggies. You can oven char carrots with lemon zest, potatoes, and some greens of your choice to go with fermented cashew cheese and serve to your guests as part of a plate of nibbles with a lovely bottle of vegan wine.

There are many other options, as with regular cheese, you can use to add variety to your table by having vegan cheese, onion jam, quince paste, minted pea sauce, roasted zucchini, baby kale, and quinoa salad.  

Vegan Cheese Board

Cheese is an essential component of a vegan cheese board, and it is the star for your platter without any doubts. When considering a vegan cheese board, try to have variety in texture, hard/ soft, taste, colour, and balance out sweetness, saltiness, and sourness.

You can add a variety of cheeses on the vegan cheese board, depending on the size of the board and the wine you intend to pair it with. Consider that if you have a small to the medium-sized board, a maximum of four to five flavours of cheese are enough because you do not want it to be overcrowded. It is considered a must to have other fruit and dried items too.

Fermented cashew cheese can be paired with blue cheese, garlic and herb cheese, tofu feta cheese, pepper jack cheese, and garlic cheese. Your vegan cheeseboard will have a blend of flavours with sweetness, tanginess, sourness and some spicy elements so you can choose the combination that best suits your palette.

Now that you have a complete menu for your vegan friends, invite them to have some wine, cashew cheese, and crackers over some great conversation!