Ciao a tutti!
Vegan cheese can be a great addition to pizzas, sauces, pasta toppings, sandwiches, crepes and more! Most is made of rice protein and has the same texture as the real (un-friendly) cheese. In Italy, it can still be difficult to find the faux-cheese. Online websites carry it and it can be shipped pretty easily, however sometimes it is still easier to simply go to the grocery store and get it there.
So what kind of product do we need to look for? And how do we know it’s vegan?
First off, cheese in Italian is formaggio. Different styles can be:
- cremoso – creamy
- spalmabile – spreadable
- grattuggiato – grated
- solido/a fette – solid/sliced
You want to look for the vegan label on the package, although it may not always be there. This one is vegan,and it is stated vegan on the package. This one was found online and is imported from Germany.
The ingredients are:
Ingredienti: acqua, olio di cocco non idrogenato (23%), fecola di patate, stabilizzante: amido modificato, sale , sale di fusione: polifosfato di sodio, aromi vegan, conservante: acido sorbico, colorante: beta-carotene, che separa l’agente: fecola di patate
Ingredients: water, coconut oil (23%), potato flakes, stablilizers: starch modifier, salt, sodium polyphosphate, natural (vegan) flavors, preservatives: ascorbic acid, coloring: beta-carotene and separating agent: potato flakes
Others are imported from England.
Italy, however, is known for homemade and traditional foods. And with veganism on the rise, homemade vegan cheese can also be found. There is one place called Vegan Mattapoisett di Luciente (Luciente is the name being used) in Cormano, near Milano. The cheese, named non-formaggio (non-cheese) is made by hand and can be shipped all over Italy. Cheeses include:
- Maple smoked cheddar
- Spreadable blue cheese
- Smoked spicy cheese
- Thyme and rosemary flavored cheese
- Macrobiotic made from algae/nori
- Black pepper cheese
- Rose cheese
- Beer cheese
- And much much more!
You can also find them at the farmers market, the third Sunday of every month in Milano at the following address, just make sure to double check on the internet:
Torchiera Cascina Senz’acqua in Piazza
Cimitero Maggiore
And the first Sunday of every month:
Cox 18 in via Conchetta, Milano
Most likely, this is the first homemade, traditional vegan cheese that will spark many others to follow.
by 