How is daiya cheese made?

Are you someone who is looking for dairy-free alternatives, but still wishes to delve into the world of cheesy goodness? Well, look no further as Daiya cheese may just be the answer to all your vegan dreams. This non-dairy, non-GMO product has taken over hearts and kitchens alike with its delicious taste and versatile use. But how exactly is this dairy-free delight made? In this article, we will take a comical look at the process behind making Daiya cheese.

Introduction

Before delving deep into how this decadent cheese-like product comes to be, let’s first understand what it’s made up of:

• Tapioca starch
• Coconut oil
• Pea protein isolate
• Natural flavors
• Salt

Yes! That’s it! No cows are needed in the making of this cheesy masterpiece that can satiate your soul any day.

Fun fact: There’s more beyond just one type!

Though many know about the Original sliced version of Daiya Cheese or even their Cream Cheeze spread; there’s so much more out there in terms of variety. With flavored blocks like jalapeño Havarti or smoked Gouda styles along with shredded Mozzarella style for pizzas, your options aren’t limited!

The Making Process… How?

Daiya doesn’t spill any secrets on its official website; however, after doing some research (the notebook was stolen by a not-an-intern I swear), here’s how it goes down:

1. Gather ingredients\n2.Do nothing?\n3.Done.

Well okay fine those steps weren’t serious but genuinely speaking – we couldn’t believe that only five elements could create such wonder until we dug deeper…

First Things First — Heat It Up!

The base mixture consisting mainly of tapioca starch needs to be heated up to a certain temperature. This helps in making the mixture pliable and adding stretch to the final product.

“It’s Getting Hot In Here” (cue Nelly)

Heat isn’t just good for getting us worked up, but also so further processing can occur! After heating up the base mixture with water at which point additional oils and starches are added to make sure the desired texture is achieved.

Fun fact: Melting properties akin to animal-based cheesy delights

The melting capabilities of Daiya Cheese have even those who love actual dairy marked dumbfounded as this non-dairy option imitates melt almost identically!

Past Phases Passed?

“A proper curd brings all the cheese experts closer!”

Nobody says that, except me right now because curds are fascinating! The pasteurization process removes unwanted bacteria from milk & Daitya doesn’t contain any form of it or else it would technically not be considered vegan friendly anyways!

Which got us thinking how does Daiya get its cheese-like curdles? Turns out they went above-and-beyond by utilizing pea protein isolate rather than soy, allowing them to create rennet-free “curds”. Magic much?

Talk About Texture

After moisture removal from said unique procedure via extrusion molding techniques followed by cooling equipment utilization, we’re left with small shreds of gooey perfection.

Flavor Frenzy

One area where critics stand divided is whether or not Daiya truly tastes like traditional cheeses. Some say it closely mimics its dairy counterpart while others argue against this notion; ultimately boiled down on a person-by-person basis based on their palate seems appropriate here.

Some claim that coconut oil’s distinct flavour profiles may come across too strong for more delicately flavoured dishes yet arguably speaking there’s nothing wrong with wanting some extra richness anyways! With regards to cooking – using this product within certain boundaries seems ideal as it could potentially overpower other flavours.

Fun fact: Nutritional information hardly varies from regular cheese

Amazingly the protein content within Daiya Cheese is quite similar to what you’d see in traditional options along with identical fat-feeds too!

Conclusion

If you’re on the lookout for an alternative, going vegan or just want some non-milky goodness that doesn’t compromise on taste and texture; You now know how Daiya’s made. Though there are divided opinions about it — we aren’t ones who discriminate against something purely because it’s unique.

So go ahead and try out this dairy-free slice of heaven – no lactose shall be spilt here!