Is this the vegan (!) ‘Parmesan’ that actually tastes good?
Vegan ‘Parmesan’: that is, of course, sacrilege, because there is only 1 real Parmesan; Parmigiano Reggiano D.O.P. But demand for vegan cheese is increasing, and because of the endless uses for Parmesan, in pesto for example, it makes sense that there is also a Parmesan that has been veganized (this word is just as strange as vegan Parmesan). But the big question, of course, is: does it taste good?
King of Cheeses
According to Italians, Parmigiano Reggiano is the King of Cheeses, and as a great Parmesan lover, I completely understand that. The origin, craftsmanship and careful aging, to name just a few things, create a unique cheese with a distinctive, intense flavor. Fantastic to eat on its own, delicious in pesto, with oven-baked green asparagus, Chicken Parm, stirred through risotto, over pasta (oeoeoeoe do try this quick scampi pasta from Gordon Ramsay!), in salads (Caesar Salad!)…. Having to miss all that as a vegan would be awful! So there are alternatives that try to come as close as possible to the taste of the real thing.
Until now, I hadn’t tasted anything that even came remotely close. The last time I bought supermarket vegan ‘Parmesan’ (not voluntarily, incidentally, for a vegan dinner party), I practically threw up when I opened the package.
‘This is Not Parmesan’
But now there is a variant from Willicroft, and they are no stranger to the world of vegan cheese. I have tasted their ‘This is not Cheese Fondue’ before and thought it was really delicious! So that vegan ‘Parmesan’? My curiosity won out over my initial disgust. The name, incidentally, is ‘This is Not Parmesan’, and this plant-based cheese is made in the Netherlands from cashews, corn starch, nutritional yeast, salt and garlic powder. Wherever possible, the ingredients are also produced locally. This isn’t possible with the cashews, which come from cooperatives in Burkina Faso.
Pasta with tomato sauce and vegan ‘Parmesan’
I think the name is very well chosen, incidentally; it isn’t Parmesan, of course, but you can use it that way. I sprinkled it over a simple pasta dish. The color is darker than expected, and the texture is pleasantly grainy. But, of course, it’s all about the smell and taste. And it really isn’t bad! The next day, I took it with me to the editorial office. It actually went down well there too. One colleague sprinkled it over her salad: ‘Yes, I actually really like this.’ Another: ‘My children would happily eat this over their pasta,’ and number 3: ‘Tasty, it tastes like Hamka’s!’
At Lidl
I personally love Parmesan too much to buy an imitation, in any form, but are you vegan, or having vegans over for dinner, or are you simply incredibly curious? You can find ‘This is Not Parmesan’ in all Lidl stores in the Netherlands this week, as part of the Future Goods weeks.
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