This New Vegan Cheese Tastes, Melts, and Feels Just Like Dairy Cheese

As someone who has been vegan for over a decade, I've had the pleasure of watching the dairy-free cheese industry boom.

Back in the day, vegan cheese was little more than greasy yellow plastic that required nothing short of a blow torch to melt. Today, when visiting the local health food store, you can find a vegan version of everything from fresh mozzarella to aged Parmesan. But there continued to be one type of vegan cheese that eluded me: One that tasted equally great when uncooked and melted.

I'm happy to say that this cheesy void in my vegan heart has been filled with a new dairy-free cheese brand, Moocho. A sister company of Tofurky, the Moocho Shreds are 100 percent plant-based, plus gluten-free, and made from a blend of coconut oil, potato starch, and faba bean protein. Moocho's creation process involves fermentation and aging, just like traditional cheesemaking.

I was sent samples of Moocho's three flavors — Cheddar, Mozzarella, and Fiesta Blend — and was shocked with the texture. Vegan cheeses that are meant for melting often have a chalky and gritty consistency, but not these. Perfectly creamy and smooth, Moocho shreds literally melt in your mouth (I refuse to disclose exactly how much I ate straight from the bag into my mouth, but it was an embarrassing amount) and would be perfect for cold shredded cheese uses like on tacos, sandwiches, or even pimento cheese.

But Moocho isn't just good cold, it also manages to melt perfectly into a rich consistency that rivals dairy-based cheeses. I tried it on a pizza, in a quesadilla, and as a grilled cheese, all of which impressed me and my dairy-loving omnivore husband. Although the Moocho shreds weren't particularly stretchy, I think they'd still easily be mistaken for dairy cheese when served up in a dish.

Moocho products will be hitting store shelves in October, at select grocery stores including Safeway and Albertsons. Their Cheddar, Mozzarella, and Fiesta Blend shreds will be available in eight-ounce bags for $4.99 each.

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