Vegetarian Cheese

A wide range of vegetarian cheese is available today from the softest Camembert to the most robust Stiltons. These products make it possible for vegetarians to enjoy cheese without fear of consuming non-vegetarian food.

Many people may be surprised to learn that not all cheese is vegetarian. This is because one of the essential ingredients in the cheese making process is rennet. Rennet is derived from a calf's stomach making it unacceptable for vegetarians. In fact, this can be a real sticking point for vegetarians. While it is possible to control the cheese that you use at home, how do you know whether the cheese slice in a sandwich or the grated cheese on a taco is vegetarian?

Thankfully, vegetarian rennet is becoming increasingly popular and recent developments in the production of vegetarian rennet from non meat sources means that this trend is likely to continue. Vegetarian rennet is known as synthetic rennet, and one of the reasons this is popular with cheese makers is because the quality is consistent and the cost is low.

Vegetarian cheese can be used in exactly the same way as any other cheese. In fact, the look, taste and consistency of cheese produced with vegetarian rennet is identical to that of cheese from non vegetarian sources. Vegetarian cheese melts well and can be used hot as well as cold.

One of the issues with buying loose vegetarian cheese, or buying food that contains cheese, is that vegetarian cheese looks exactly the same as the non-vegetarian alternative. This means that it is not simply a case of being able to look at a piece of cheese to tell if it is vegetarian, good information needs to be provided with it.

Specialist health food, vegetarian or cheese stores can offer good advice as to the different types of cheese available for vegetarians. In mainstream stores it is necessary to carefully read cheese labels and to look for the source of rennet. It is useful to make a note of different kinds of vegetarian rennet before shopping as this will help to make the identification of vegetarians safe cheese easier. Cheeses that contain 'vegetarian rennet' or 'microbial enzymes' will be suitable for vegetarians.

Some cheeses are produced without rennets. These are typically soft cheeses such as cottage and some cream cheeses. These cheeses are created using an alternative method and therefore are nearly always vegetarian. Other things to watch for, include the use of gelatin or other non-vegetarian ingredients. These cheeses can be a useful fall back if the rennet origin of other cheese is not known.

Another interesting option for vegetarians is cheese that comes from a non-dairy source. These cheeses are created from ingredients such as soy and are suitable for both vegetarian and vegan diets. Non-dairy cheese used to get a bad press as they were grainy and did not melt. Recent developments in the non-dairy cheese making industry have resulted in vegan cheeses that are more authentic, however melting is still an issue.

One of the disadvantages of being a vegetarian is that there are 'hidden dangers'. While the choice of vegetarian cheese is wide and varied, there are some pitfalls to watch out for. These include:

• Coloring – some cheeses contain coloring. These are typically red or orange cheeses and may include coloring that is from a non vegetarian source.
• Other non-vegetarian ingredients – ingredients such as gelatin and some flavorings may come from a non-vegetarian source. While this is less of an issue with traditional cheese, some novelty cheeses may include unusual or unexpected ingredients.
• Handling of non-vegetarian cheese and food – depending on how much of a purest someone is, the fact that vegetarian cheese may be cut with a cutter that has also been used to cut non-vegetarian cheese may be a problem. It should also be remembered that unless a store specializes in vegetarian produce, the staff will handle many different products.

The wide range of vegetarian cheeses available means that cheese can play an important part in a vegetarian's diet, and there is no reason why a wide range of cheeses should not be enjoyed by all.

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