{City Girl Eats} Cheezly Vegan Cheese

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As I worked my way through several cheese substistutes, Cheezly was the one that grew on me rather than causing an immediate like or dislike.  Unlike Daiya, which I loved immediately for the meltiness, Cheezly was all about changing my expectations.  I first tried the White Cheddar, which in my opinion tastes more like a sharp queso fresco than the expected cheddar flavor (though my dad thinks it tastes like cheddar, so maybe it’s just me).  Honestly, had I not expected a sharper flavor, I would have probably liked it quite a bit right away.  It makes a tasty grilled cheese as it will soften up and get melty, just not melty stringy like Daiya.  It also makes a nice topping for chili.  Then I tried the Mozzarella, which I expected to taste nothing like Mozzarella, but actually kind of did. It melts decently if you grate it (I totally forgot to take a picture of my Cheezly pizza so take a look at  Utopian Kitchen’s picture of a pizza with Mozzarella Cheezly – mine looked just like that).  The Mozzarella flavor really did have a fermented soft cheese flavor.  For that reason, I think for something like lasagna, it would make sense to combine Cheezly and Daiya, or even just use Cheezly. 

Cheezly is British, and it seems that there are many more Cheezly varieties in the UK.  I purchased Cheezly at the Pangea Vegan Store (if you are local to DC, be sure to check this out) which carries the standard five types I have seen available in the U.S. Both the White Cheddar and the Mozzarella are gluten-free, as are the Garlic and Herb Cheddar and the Nacho style Cheezly.  There is a fifth Cheezly, with vegan bacon made of gluten.  Several vegan websites and stores other than Pangea Vegan Store carry it.