5 Popular Vegetarian Cheeses to Try
Believe it or not, cheese is a versatile ingredient that can be used to prepare all your favourite meals, right from pesto pasta to a delicious hot Margherita pizza! But it's also important to keep in mind that not all cheese varieties can suit your dietary needs, especially if you are a vegetarian. We've compiled a list of vegetarian cheeses you can enjoy without stress. The best part is that all these vegetarian cheeses can be used to cook mouth-watering dishes you'll love!
Cottage Cheese
Cottage Cheese is considered a fresh cheese because it is made from cow's milk by heating it and adding vinegar or lemon juice. This cheese is perfect for diet-conscious people because of its high protein and low fat content. It is especially popular among those who enjoy snacking on cheese.
Azeitão
Azeitão is a pale yellow-coloured cheese that is made from unpasteurized sheep milk. Manufactured in Portugal and named from the coastal village where it is produced, this cheese variety is semi-soft with a creamy to firm consistency and salty taste. Enjoy the bitter taste of this cheese with some medium-bodied red wine.
Humboldt Fog
Humboldt Fog was created in the USA and is made from pasteurized goat's milk. This cheese has a bit of an intense aroma & a layer of ash running through, but the smooth, creamy consistency is what makes enjoying this cheese a delight. Pair it up with a glass of Pinot Noir or a Cider to enjoy the tangy notes in the cheese.
Cornish Yarg
Credit: Flickr/Tristan Ferne/ CC BY 2.0
Cornish Yarg is a semi-hard cheese with a creamy core and a slightly crumbly texture. Made from pasteurized cow's milk, it's wrapped in nettles by hand, brined, and matured for five weeks. Typically, vegetarian rennet is used, but export versions may contain animal rennet. This cheese originated three decades ago when farmer Alan Gray found a seventeenth-century recipe and named it "Yarg" as a playful reversal of his own name.
Paneer
Paneer, a fresh cheese dating back to 6000 BC in the Indian Subcontinent, is widely used in South Asian cuisine. A regional variant called Chhena is popular in East India. This cheese is moist, soft, and crumbly, commonly used in Asian dishes. It's rich in milk protein, and the Chhena-making process is similar to paneer but with less pressing. In some Indian states, it is prepared like ricotta, involving boiling, curdling with whey, straining, and kneading for a smooth texture.
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