Daiya Vegan Cheese!

I am in love.
Really.

Recently I was up in Vancouver, Canada and decided to test out the local favorite vegan cheese substitute. Brought to us by Daiya Foods (http://www.daiyafoods.com), this is supposed to be the end all of real shredding, real melting, real tasting goodness.

While dining at The Naam (2427 4th), reportedly one of the first places to serve Daiya cheese, I figured their quesadillas were a great opportunity to get a true reading of the taste and melting quality of this product. I recorded my true feelings after the first, second and third bites of the quesadilla, and my notes are as follows:

1st Bite: Too sweet. Great consistency, but not my favorite
2nd Bite: Warming up to it. A bit saltier this time.
3rd Bite: Huge fan. No need for salsas or dressings, perfect the way it is.

Overall rating after finishing dish:
Breaking up with boyfriend, marrying cheese.

Then I ordered another round of quesadillas to go. I put them through the "sightseeing all day without refrigeration" test, then through the "overnight in the fridge and reheated in the microwave" test. The next morning, I found they stood up to all my harshness, and were as good as when they were fresh the day before.

Facts:

(taken word for word from Happycow.com)

“made with whole-food plant-based ingredients”
33% less fat than typical cheese
Cholesterol Free
Trans Fat free
Dairy free
Free of all Animal products – Vegan / Parve
Free of Artificial Ingredients
Free of Preservatives
Free of Common Allergens: Soy, Casein, Lactose, Whey, Wheat, Barley, Corn, Rice, Gluten, Nuts

So come on and get some, if you are in the Vancouver area. If not, bug your local vegetarian food provider (commercial only) every day until they make Daiya cheese one of their ingredients. You won't be sorry.

**UPDATE**

I am happy to announce that Foodswings in Brooklyn started carrying Daiya! If you are in the area, check it out!