As a society, we are raised on foods with rich, creamy bases. We are taught to love milk, eggs, cheese, and bacon at a very young age. Letting go of these foods is hard for most of us. When going vegan we want to re-create the flavors we’ve learned to love.
Recently a cooking buddy of mine and I decided to taste two cheezecakes manufactured by the Daiya Company. Mind you both of us are professional cooks, we have refined palates and intense opinions on how food should taste. How would a cheesecake taste like a cheesecake that doesn’t have any cheese in it? Why would someone want to eat such a thing?
Mr. Bubblewrap is not a vegan, but is interested in all sorts of food. Asking someone who has a deep love of bacon to taste vegan products was a challenge. He even says so in the video below, “I was nervous, it doesn’t have any cheese in it.” His reaction to the New York Cheesecake was priceless. We documented the tasting to show you that even an omnivore can appreciate and enjoy foods that have no animal products in them.
I personally do not crave nor want to replicate most of the foods I grew up with. Yes, I miss cheese at times, but I’ve found alternatives that work for me. I’ve developed a love of tofu as a base for cream pies and other scrumptious and rich foods. I’ve learned to use avocado for mousse and other types of silky food. Coconut is widely used now as a base for many creamy and rich foods, like in these two cheezecakes.
As a chef, I experiment and try to come up with new combinations to delight and please diners. Just give my Vegan Whipped Potatoes a try, you’ll see what I mean. However I am not a food scientist, so I don’t play with things like pea protein and vegan enzymes.
I hope you enjoy this tasting video, and if there’s something you want to see us taste, please leave a comment below. And don’t forget to subscribe to our Youtube channel Kitchen Shaman.
This video and post are not sponsored by the Daiya Company.