Wisconsin produces 30 percent of America's cheese, but Florida is
giving the Badger State a run for its money. How? Cowless cheese.
I'm talking soy and rice cheese. Though they lack the rich taste
and creaminess of the real thing, they don't have the fat, lactose
or cholesterol, either.
Made from brown rice milk and cleverly named Rice, the rice
cheese from Galaxy Nutritional Foods in Orlando (12 ounces, $4.09)
comes in flavors including a mild but recognizable cheddar. Rice
slices, shreds and melts like cow cheddar with just 60 calories and
3 fat grams per ounce -- half and one-third, respectively, of the
real thing. Not a luxurious mouth feel, even slightly starchy, it
has 1 wee carb gram per ounce.
Galaxy also makes soy Veggie Slices ($2.49, 12 20-gram slices).
Like Rice, it's available in supermarkets and comes in flavors like
believable provolone and Swiss. Softer than Rice, a Veggie Slice (40
calories, 2 fat grams, 1 carb gram) will melt at room temperature.
Eat it now or scrape it up later.
Natural food stores carry soy-based Soya Kaas ($4.49, 12 ounces)
by American Natural and Specialty Brands in St. Augustine. Jalapeño
Mexi-Kaas has 65 calories, 4 fat grams and 1 carb gram per ounce.
It's got a nice chili thing going and slices and melts like it ought
to, so I forgive its rubbery consistency.
With 80 calories an ounce, mozzarellish Tofurella ($3.69, 8
ounces) from St. Augustine's other faux cheesery, Rella Good Cheese
Co., has more calories than part-skim mozzarella, plus 6 fat grams,
3 carb grams and a linty mouth feel.
Its rice milk-based sister product, Veganrella (60 calories, 3
fat grams and 9 carb grams per ounce) is the only faux cheese that's
free of casein (milk protein) -- good news for vegans and the
casein-allergic. But it's carbier than its faux-fromage friends, the
cheddar doesn't taste like cheddar, doesn't eat like cheese and
doesn't interest my dog. OK, so Rella cheeses aren't rella that
good. Velveeta isn't vacherin, either.
All in all, though, Florida is producing some worthy cheese
wannabes. They're faux, they're fun, they're heart-healthy and
they're homegrown.
