Why Vegan Cheese?
Why make vegan cheese?
When I went vegan in 2006 lots of people said, “Good on you, but I couldn’t live without cheese.”
Having English and French heritage, I grew up eating a LOT of dairy cheese, so I do understand that sentiment.
See Also: Marinated Cream Cheese
I chose to focus on cheese alternatives because it represents such a big hurdle to change for many people - but also because of the massive potential impact. I see it as culinary activism.
Each kilo of dairy cheese requires 10 liters of milk, so switching to a cheese alternative made from plants really amplifies your impact.
Food in general is a very emotive subject, and cheese seems particularly so.
I believe it’s much more productive to provide a delicious and affordable alternative, so people can make minimal changes to their buying habits and their cooking habits.
See Also: Mayo Cheese Sauce
There’s no point trying to take pizza, lasagna and macaroni cheese away from people!
As Irina Gerry from Change Foods says, “People love cheese. Cheese is usually the last product holding consumers back from adopting a fully plant-based lifestyle, yet, cheese is second only to red meat (beef and lamb) in its carbon footprint.”