Usually vegan cheese is just some saturated oil with modified starch, food colouring, aroma and a few other ingredients. However Happy Cheeze is one manufacturer that claims to stick to traditional methods. I did not have a chance to actually try their cheese as it rather expensive, but I do wonder: Why aren't more companies doing this? Is it inherently more expensive? Is cows milk in some way special for cheese making such that we can not just ferment something else and get similar results?
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2People have been researching how to make vegan cheese for like 40 years and it's still not right. What "something else" do you suggest and what constitutes a "traditional method" here, given that traditional cheese-making involves adding enzyme complex from the stomach of a calf which is specifically evolved to coagulate milk...– Zanna ♦Commented Apr 11, 2019 at 3:20
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It's an interesting question but I agree with Zanna that some of the terms and things that you assume in your question are a bit unclear.– Alexander RossaCommented Apr 11, 2019 at 9:23
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what is the "traditional method" that you mention ?– ManukiCommented Apr 12, 2019 at 17:35
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Bean cure / tofu is a traditional product which could be regarded as a vegan cheese.– badjohnCommented Apr 13, 2019 at 8:21
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1 Answer
The "traditional methods" for coagulating milk are simply not vegan. It's not the fermenting process but curdling, which typically involves the use of rennet, an enzyme extracted from processing the stomachs of rumiant mammals.
Other methods of curdling/coagulation exist, like the ones used in some kosher or halal cheese, which are vegetarian but not vegan.
Calling the Happy Cheeze methods "traditional" is a bit of a long shot and has more to do with how they market their product than actual cheese making traditions.
