I tried Willicroft’s plant-based feta and here’s what I thought
As a fan of food news and new products, are you always as curious as I am when a different version is made of something you already know? I am, and especially in this case, because I’m a big fan of feta and actually of almost all types of cheese – although some truly awful stinkers are even too much for me. But feta is one of my favorites, which is why I was especially curious about plant-based feta.
The plant-based version of ‘salad cheese’, or ‘white cheese’, as it is also sometimes called. The pack I got my hands on was Willicroft’s Greek White, made by Willicroft, plant-based ‘cheese’ makers with their own shop in the center of Amsterdam. I have to admit that I’m not equally fond of all animal-product substitutes, but I was happy to give this one a try.
Let’s pick at it
Naturally, I started by examining the texture and tasting a little piece. The rectangular block is light in color, and not as white as the feta or salad cheese you probably know. When cut and worked with a fork, it did break apart into nice ‘crumbs’. The taste: salty, with a definite hint of ‘something else’, but it wasn’t so dominant that I could immediately tell what it was.
Umami aftertaste
The ingredients list includes white beans, potato starch and nutritional yeast, among other things, and the latter is known as a plant-based alternative with a flavor that you could, with a little imagination, describe as cheesy. In any case, it adds a bit of an umami ‘kick’; that sensation you can get at the back of your jaw and in your salivary glands from, for example, Parmesan cheese or tomato paste. You get that with this Greek White too, and the apple cider vinegar in it probably helps.
Quick lunch
Since it was lunchtime too, I first toasted bread in a red-hot pan with oil and then tossed in two handfuls of cherry tomatoes. Yes, slow-roasted tomatoes from the oven are obviously hot and happening, but seriously: who has the time or inclination for that on a workday, especially when it’s 28 degrees out? So the pan it is.
We eat with our eyes
I crumbled a generous piece of the Greek White over that toast with quickly fried tomatoes, drizzled the whole thing with some good olive oil and sprinkled parsley on top. Curly parsley, yes, we (also) love it! As you can see, this looked reasonably appealing, and we also eat with our eyes for a large part. So I was definitely in the mood to sink my teeth into this, and I also felt I had given the Greek White enough friends to play with. So, would it be a hit..?
My verdict
Conclusion: yes. Of course, it isn’t the same as Greek feta. But it certainly isn’t bad, and with some cheerful embellishments you can easily turn it into something tasty. I think it would also work perfectly well simply with a cracker or piece of toast on a (vegan) drinks platter, especially if you want to eat more plant-based yourself or are having vegan friends over.
The Greek White was temporarily available at Lidl, but it can also be ordered online from Willicroft itself and from grocery delivery services including Crisp and Picnic. We’d love to hear what you think!
Read also:
- Good news for your wallet: meat substitutes are now cheaper than meat
- Lidl takes another big (and tasty) step with sustainable cheese
- Feta versus salad cheese: what’s the difference?
