Violife Epic Mature Cheddar Flavour Block (& Comparison to Real Mature Cheeses)

Time for another review of a vegan product by me, a non-vegan. This time, 'Epic Mature' Cheddar Flavour Block from Violife. Now, I REALLY like cheese, so how is this going to measure up...?
The product on test:violifefoods.com/product/epic...
The cheeses I compared this with:
Lyburn Gold - www.lyburnfarm.co.uk/cheeses/... Twanger - www.greendale.com/product/gla...
(The maker doesn't appear to have their own website)
Co Op Irresistible 12 Month Matured Vintage Cheddar
Timestamps:
0:00 Intro
1:17 First look
2:07 First taste
2:34 Tasting with crackers
4:25 Cooking (melted on toast)
7:35 Tasting (cooked)
9:11 Eva test
9:40 Interim conclusion
12:17 Comparison to real cheese
17:25 Real cheese on crackers
19:47 Real cheese on toast
21:05 Tasting real cheese cooked
22:16 Eva test (real cheese)
22:43 Summary conclusions

[@AtomicShrimp]

*Erratum* Yeah - there's some weird stuff left in this edit around the midpoint; a combination of flubbed takes, background noise and remnants of the first ending from when this was going to be two separate videos. I will now grapple the buttered frog that is KZbin's post-upload editor and get this sorted.

[@sarchlalaith8836]

Leave it as is, you're not getting paid, this is more than good enough, you get the point across well

[@sohatyi]

I'm waiting for vegan I can't believe it's not butter'ed soy frog.

[@IstasPumaNevada]

I say leave it as is, I don't feel it warranted more work to undo.

[@ABoyNamedCharlotte]

your content is really so lovely, and that extends to the language you use. I've never heard "buttered frog" before and it brought a big smile to my face. haha!

[@PabloBD]

the end is kinda sudden too, but that might be an artistic choice? like OK, I'm shutting up now

[@SheyD78]

I feel like the problem is it being marketed as 'Mature cheddar' when it might be better marketed and smooth and creamy or something similar. Better to advertise it as something as close to its reality as possible rather than make claims that fail and put people off.

[@AlissaSss23]

I totally agree

[@danganrgore]

Hey Atomic Shrimp, I’m vegan and love these reviews you do. I personally dislike violife products but I urge you to try vegan applewood cheese, best I’ve found yet! Does great with the melt test too!

[@dylanthedyslexicvillain4294]

Agreed the smoked cheese is gorgeous even better than the real stuff in my opinion the violife Stuff is okay not my favourite either

[@tuna5305]

@@dylanthedyslexicvillain4294 An imitation cannot be better than an original because it fails at being an imitation if it is. If it's "better", it's just different.

[@dylanthedyslexicvillain4294]

@@tuna5305 I think possibly you need to get out more, all I’m saying is I prefer it to the real stuff how is that wrong

[@tuna5305]

​@@dylanthedyslexicvillain4294 I think you need to think more, all I'm saying is that imitation food cannot be "better" than the original food. I have nothing against you or anyone else enjoying it.

[@dylanthedyslexicvillain4294]

@@tuna5305 what don’t you understand it’s personal preference I prefer it to the original how is that hard to understand i’m not saying imitation stuff is better than the original all I’m saying is that I personally enjoy it more seriously dude

[@RagnarokiaNG]

I lost it at the wobble test for the "mature" cheese. When I try doing anything with extra mature cheese it shatters into a million pieces if I so much as breathe near it.

[@oliverqueen5883]

Lmaooo so true

[@hihihi19893]

I love these vegan product videos. I am not a vegan nor do I buy vegan products much but I think it is interesting to see how far we have come when it comes to food substitutes. The formulas and recipes for these are also changing really rapidly right now so this is also a way to document this very specific product in this very specific interval of time.

[@IRVDawg]

True! I'm watching this a year after it was posted, and some of these reviews of the cutting edge vegan released animal-based-replica product reviews are class to look back on 👌

[@AlissaSss23]

I agree

[@oil_moon]

"cheeses that make your face hurt when you eat them" love that analogy, and know exactly what you mean. I've had some extra strong cheeses cause that same reaction to sour foods where you get muscle contractions in your jaw.

[@ambsemlay]

i sometimes experience that when i eat sweet foods !?

[@gadnukbreakerofworlds666]

I've always loved mature cheese, ever since I was a child, I remember visiting cheddar gorge and trying samples, the lady said "you won't like this one" and didn't believe me when I said I did

[@ianc4901]

@@ambsemlay Yep, I get it from over sweet chocolates !

[@ambsemlay]

@@ianc4901 thank god i’m not crazy hahaha

[@fariesz6786]

i find it interesting that cheddar-type cheeses turn much more tangy when they mature while almost all cheese we have here on the mainland tend to become less sour and sometimes even sweet the more they age.

[@sjgambler9178]

You’re the only content creators videos who I don’t even occasionally fast forward through their video. You seem to have an anti-anxiolytic effect on me when I watch your videos which is wonderful considering my anxiety has been flaring up and watching a video of cheddar cheese has somehow helped. Thank you.

[@skrimper]

Check out Nicola Whites Mudlarking, equally relaxing British KZbinr.

[@spode2917]

just FYI, "lytic" refers to the process of breaking apart, or lysis, of cellular walls or membranes. Thus, anxiolytic means that it breaks apart, or neutralizes, anxiety. Anti-anxiolytic would probably mean either preventing your anxiety from being relieved or just making it worse. So you may have been looking for just boring old 'anxiolytic'. And I agree, I very much enjoy these videos and find them a good mix of engaging and relaxing.

[@nickmuffin1722]

@@skrimper thanks shes awesome!

[@AlissaSss23]

@@skrimper thank you for the suggestion

[@4RedDwarf3]

Eva... "this stuff is sticking to my teeth". Was quite funny how she struggled for a few seconds with it.

[@mrs.pantocow4747]

I have a feeling Eva isn't going to want anything to do with him for a few days

[@markfergerson2145]

@@mrs.pantocow4747 She was quite happy with the cheese-on-toast. I don't doubt the smell difference was a lot more intense for her than for humans, and she'd likely pass up offered seconds on the cheese-shaped object.

[@sarahcarter5325]

Sorry Eva but I laughed when you tried the vegan cheese bless looked like you had chewing gum.

[@timstein8045]

As a vegan, I would never recommend anyone eat any of the oil and starch based cheeses uncooked (not for any health reason, purely for the eating experience). In my opinion they are fine melted in a toastie or a quesadilla, or cooked into things though (I have been meaning to try a vegan version of your welsh rarebit recipe). For things to eat with crackers, I would only ever have nut-based vegan cheeses that have cultures in them and are aged, my favourite being mouse's favourite faux camembert.

[@thenameless3271]

So toastie is another word for grilled cheese? Very interesting, thanks for the new word!

[@timstein8045]

@@thenameless3271 some people might but I would call "grilled cheese" "cheese on toast". Here I am using "toastie" to mean a toasted sandwich: cheese (and other optional fillings) between 2 slices of bread and then fried or warmed in a toastie machine. Edited because I spelled toastie with a y by accident

[@priesty.]

@@thenameless3271 Not really no.

[@NZKiwi87]

@@timstein8045 we call them toasties here in New Zealand too ☺️👍

[@markfergerson2145]

@@timstein8045 Here in America I make "grilled cheese" by buttering a slice of bread on both sides, placing it on a hot flat metal surface be it a grill (which isn't an array of parallel metal bars in commercial usage) or a skillet on a stove or whatever, placing cheese on the bread, then covering with another slice of buttered bread- let it sit long enough to get nice and browned and a little greasy from the butter, then flip and repeat. The cheese is nicely melted when done. All sorts of other things can be added but that's one basic version of the American grilled cheese sandwich. Other than your definition requiring a specialized piece of gear, I don't see a lot of difference.

[@richardadams7667]

Ooh that was really interesting. Thank you. I'm vegan myself and so is my partner. We've always been intrigued by what a non vegan would think of our go to "cheeze". We use it for cheese on crackers, in sandwiches, on pasta etc. It's sometimes not funky enough so I add marmite or Nutritional Yeast or Vegan Worcester Sauce 😊 Thanks for the awesome content Shrimp!

[@jackholmes225]

Have you tried Henderson relish? A lot of people prefer it to worcester sauce, and it is vegan.

[@B.Weedster]

Im not a vegan but how i love nutritional yeast. Totally one of my personal favorites and one of the best inventions on this planet you guys refer to as Earth

[@KirkJacobsonHere]

@@jackholmes225 Mushroom ketchup is another good substitute and is surprisingly easy to find for a product so few have heard of.

[@Bloodreign137]

HECK YEAH! I’m also not a vegan but I LOOOVE the weird/different/unique food videos, including this one! I’ve had the worst last few weeks with too many deaths in the family with last night having everything come to a head - seeing this video was a almost half hour just about made me cry. Thank you shrimp!

[@SammyC]

His videos are like a warm hug 🤗 hope things get better soon mate.

[@Bloodreign137]

@@SammyC i couldn’t have said it better myself! Things will be rough but I really appreciate your kind words

[@SammyC]

@@Bloodreign137 Atomic Shrimp helped me get through the last lockdown we had In the UK (December) and also helped me through a really stressful period at work.

[@SvobodovaEva]

Too many deaths in the family 😬 One death is already too many but this sounds heartbreaking. Hope you feel better soon.

[@Hyperventilate]

I'm sorry you're having a rough go of it, friend. Peace, comfort and all of my love to you. I hope better days come quickly.

[@robgiss]

I tried the violife sliced cheddar when I went to Subway to try their "meat-free meatball" sub, and I have to say the cheese was far more convincing than the meatballs were. In fact, I would say the cheese was more cheesy than the normal "cheese" triangles they use. So I think that they would probably be good if you wanted to replace a milder sandwich cheese.

[@johnmartinez7440]

I found the meatless meatball marinara a bit average (not that I love the actual meatball marinara). The TLC (Tastes Like Chicken) or veggie/vegan patty with garlic aioli is divine, however.

[@stephenward2743]

As a vegan I always tell people, every animal product has a subsitute that is as good or even better than the real thing. I caveat one exception...cheese. It's just not there. An enjoyable experience, but for any cheese lovers I have no doubt they will be disappointed by the vegan offerings.

[@SvobodovaEva]

I think it's only a matter of time until there's a good substitute. Many celebrities are investing in vegan food nowadays, hopefully we'll get something soon.

[@ShockingPikachu]

As a non vegan I have yet to find a milk substitute that tastes as nice as regular milk. Almond milk tastes like bark to me, soy has a bleh aftertaste coconut milk is well… it’s not really close to a milk. Have yet to try oat milk, that at least seems like it’d be alright. It’s not really due to anything other than curiosity of what it tastes like because nut milks are about as, if not more, calorie dense as regular milk and some have an ungodly amount of sugar in them. I like cheese wayyyy too much to be able to give it up same with eggs so probably the most I’d likely be able to go is 80% vegetarian with like 2 days with a meat meal.

[@stephenward2743]

@@SvobodovaEva Absolutely, as Shrimp said in the video the issue likely relates to the milk protein content, but there are companies like Brave Robot that now sell vegan dairy products made of synthesised milk proteins. Once that has made its way to the mass market and can be used in cheese I think we'll be there.

[@theultimatehomiegsenior3058]

@@ShockingPikachu a lot of vegan milk has different flavours, try other, maybe that would help! :D

[@penbloomfield3062]

@@ShockingPikachu there is no perfect vegan milk, but there's a different type of milk for each occasion Oat for cereal or porrage Coconut from a can for Curry's and desserts (it's the one with the high fat) Soy for basically everything else Although I don't drink coffee, been told oat works best

[@Y0utube5ucks]

You saying you liked cheese that makes your face hurt when you eat it gave me a chuckle :) The little crunchy bits in aged cheese are some sort of calcium crystal and I really like then as well.

[@GirishManjunathMusic]

Sodium salts, calcium lactate, and various glutamates.

[@MrCheesywaffles]

@@GirishManjunathMusic The best bits in other words!

[@skrimper]

@@MrCheesywaffles god bless cheese crystals 😭👌

[@icanseeyou9820]

I always hated those crystals, made me feel like I was eating sand

[@Sazno]

Always looking forward to the Eva-test, such a lovely dog!

[@deejaymofo]

I have a dairy allergy so I am grateful there are alternatives. I didn't like that epic mature one but the Violife slices, the pre grated and the Greek style are my faves. They have an Xmas selection that I always get excited about! It has a cranberry one that I like. And I always have one rule about vegan cheese...never smell it! They smell awful but the taste is good. Xx

[@MrTrickBrick]

Dairy allergy sufferer here too. The cranberry one is an absolute must every Xmas. 🙂

[@danpreston564]

Yeah the Xmas selection is excellent.

[@littley]

Oh yes, the Greek style is amazing!!

[@Azraelfromgamefax]

My experience of these things is that you usually get cheeses that melt well or cheeses that do something else, but never both, so they lack the versatility of real cheese. I can see that cheese going well on nachos though. Also, I'd recommend the feta from that brand, I found that to be really good.

[@Pippinn13]

I like their parmesan too

[@jakesanchard461]

I am very enthusiastic of your uploads and never disappointed. You show a bunch of things that I wouldn't normally show an interest in and I find this refreshing, you go out of your way to find a decent alternative to some non-vegan foods and that's just some of your content, I love the home made recipes and I've been inspired to try some of my own home made stuff. Thanks Mr. Shrimp, always appreciate the content, and as always, I look forward to the next vid xx

[@gibbs1716]

Every couple months your channel fades in and out of my recommended videos and whenever I see it come back after a while it makes my day

[@spiritusinfinitus]

Fantastic review. This is exactly the expert comparison that we need!! Love the detail to which you can accurately describe your palate experience. And Eva's contribution is definitely appreciated!

[@lombrosis]

Glad to hear that the Shrimp sense of humor didn't skip a generation!

[@elegantdisarray]

When he called Eva "poppet" I just about died from the cuteness 💜

[@professor_lembach]

Your daughter's assessment was remarkably apt.

[@worm9407]

Genuinely my favorite channel

[@darraghchapman]

I believe the granules you showed are calcium lactate crystals. Mmm, now I'm craving a chunk of good cheese!

[@ShockingPikachu]

Yeah when they’re mature and have those little deposits of calcium and you get that slight crunch it’s lovely 🥰

[@christopherbrand5360]

To my knowledge the crystals are free amino acids, including glutamate, which give cheese its strong savory (umami) flavor. So delightful!

[@BC-yl3qb]

If theres one thing vegans dislike more than dairy cheese, its vegan cheese.

[@TheCotzi]

not true for every vegan there are rly good fermented Cashew cheeses out there that are as good as a real one in my opinion but yes 90% of the prepackeged slices of cheese alternatives are based on Coconut oils and things like that are tasteing gross and dont even melt or anything i simply use a rouge with nutritional yeast in it to put it on pizza or a casserol and things

[@markopolo2172]

Have to disagree vegan "cheeses" just simply don't have the same flavour as a real mature cheese and that has to be the main reason I've never tried going vegan because I can cut out meat from my diet easily but just can't live without cheese or dairy so until they can match the taste and texture of cheese and cows milk I think ill just stick to the real deal

[@patricialavery8270]

This looks like something the government would try to convince you to eat.

[@khaddy72632u]

people who cannot tolerate dairy protein at all be like: .......

[@terrydaktyllus1320]

Another thing many vegans dislike is not being pandered to and worshipped as a rock star for what is ultimately just a dietary choice. It's like the old joke: Q. How can you tell if someone is vegan? A. You can't, they will tell you they are vegan. PS. I don't eat shellfish but nobody pats me on the back for being merciful to molluscs!

[@staceywalker8699]

I love Eva she's so gentle taking the food

[@jimbo4576]

She’s lee Marvin he’s stingy one bit she got poor Eva

[@staceywalker8699]

@@jimbo4576 😆

[@justanotherviewer4821]

Great in depth comparison and review. Really liked that you considered warm/melted cheese as well as cold.

[@ambsemlay]

i would really enjoy a video of you trying multiple vegan cheeses side by side as a kind of vegan cheeseboard to see how they work together

[@zaixai9441]

I actually saw a vegan christmas cheese selection in sainsburys.

[@ambsemlay]

@@zaixai9441 this would be perfect!!!

[@plantsntrance5513]

Just a reminder to all: vegan alternatives will never, ever be 100% exactly the same as the real thing. Ever. Will it still be delicious? Yes. Will it be exaclty like cheese or meat? Nope. You should try Miyokos vegan cheeses too! Theyre my favorite kind.

[@therealslimsagey5561]

"Will it still be delicious?" Erm, No. I think he was quite clear that he wouldnt reccomend this stuff and he usually is very fair about vegan products. Also he stated being carbohydrate based over protein based makes it less healthy. I assume it would have been more expensive than normal cheese too, since all the vegan stuff is marked up. So aside from a cow not being milked im struggling to see the upside here :/

[@plantsntrance5513]

@@therealslimsagey5561 well I like it 🤷🏻‍♀️ I like many alternatives. Some are good, some are bad. I dont usually buy the cheese because it definitely is unhealthy and it is expensive. Its for a niche audience for sure. But the meat alternatives are usually pretty good.

[@fairyscience]

I’m pretty sure the Miyokos vegan cheese isn’t available in the UK, which sucks I’m desperate to try them!! 😩

[@RosesAndIvy]

Actually some companies are researching making milk directly from grass, without the cow in the middle. If they succeed in that I’m sure they could make vegan cheese that is basically identical in flavor and nutritional value as non vegan cheese

[@Filbie]

I second Miyoko’s! Everything I’ve tried of theirs is delicious.

[@symetryrtemys2101]

I really appreciated your nutritional point at the end of the video. It’s a point that is so often missed elsewhere.

[@scottbelcher9026]

I really love you’re channel!!! And you’re being a great help to me currently! I’m in hospitals and rehabs… I enjoy watching your videos… And the meals, when they are barely palatable, I will pretend I’m doing a budget challenge, or something had been foraged, or I’m trying something weird… you’d be surprised, it’s a great help!!! :0)

[@dutchdykefinger]

i like the granules on an old gouda with a proper strong mustard to offset the sweetness a bit. as a Dutchman, gouda is kind of our baseline cheese :D

[@MxTHRTN]

Yeahh vegan cheese behaves weirdly when melting. In my experience it needs more time in the oven with less heat. The texture is always like it tho :/ Cheese is one of the more lacking vegan replacement products. There is very good fake milk and fake meat products these days though. When I go to get some of the vegan options at Burger King I don't notice a difference, hits the same spot to me. (They don't have vegan cheese yet and your video shows us why)

[@SvobodovaEva]

Which vegan milk brand would you recommend? I find them all too bitter and disgusting, nothing comes even close. I need something for a good milky coffee, I've tried all types of vegan milk from different brands and I couldn't even finish drinking it. 😩

[@incredibleflameboy]

@@SvobodovaEva I'm not sure if they make vegan versions but would a coffee mate type product work for you? That could be very easy and would probably have less waste if you're only using it for coffee

[@SvobodovaEva]

@@incredibleflameboy I had to google it, we don't have anything like this in Czechia 😮 does it have caffeine? I plan to visit UK next year, so maybe I'll buy it

[@incredibleflameboy]

@@SvobodovaEva it's like a milk powder so it's not caffeinated. I think the Americans would call it creamer but I'm not sure of its actual milk content. I'll be going to a shop in a minute I'll have a look at what's available and get back to you later today

[@SvobodovaEva]

@@incredibleflameboy Thanks, but that's just powdered milk I believe, not vegan. 😩 I heard that Alpro sells a vegan milk called Cuppa and that's the closest to real milk, but it's UK only.

[@robertwilkinson5865]

In the last 20 odd years I never realized that bagel mode only did one side! Useful info I just never realized, thank you!

[@mermeridian2041]

Love the Eva test!!

[@jfbaro2]

Thanks for sharing this video. I am plant based and cheese is the one thing that I miss from time to time... I'll try Violife, as it seems that best option (so far). Keep reviewing these vegan cheeses, please!

[@Shenorai]

Ahh, you've got Violife over there too! Good on ya for getting the block. The shredded stuff tends to be coated in a strange powder of sorts, It's not my preference, but then again, I can't really have real cheese either due to intolerance. If anything, the closest Violife product that tastes kinda close to what it's meant to be is the feta substitute, though I'd chalk that up to the brine it sits in more than anything. Sadly, the block is still very much uniform and doesn't crumble at all. As far as preparation goes, I've found two ways that the cheese is palletable: paired with something as is or melted into a cheese soup or dip. I have yet to try it in a welsh rarebit, but I don't think it'd be suited for it either. Also! I have tried Mushroom Ketchup and it's fairly close to the flavor profile of Worcestershire sauce. If I recall, the Townsends channel have recreated the 18th century method of making mushroom ketchup. I wonder, should the season for it come around again, what your version of mushroom ketchup would be like.

[@Mugenloo]

All shredded cheeses, vegan or not are coated in some kind of "powder" to stop it sticking together in the bag and coagulating. I think its usually corn flour or something like that

[@rebel4466]

@Mugenloo is totally right. Usually corn or potato starch is used. I'm not lactose intolerant but gluten intolerant, so I'm looking especially closely on stuff where some kind of powdery substance is used

[@Albinojackrussel]

I've never seen the shredded kind here in the UK. It's either blocks or pre sliced

[@Shenorai]

@@Mugenloo That makes complete sense. It's just far more noticeable/prominent on the vegan cheeses when compared to the actual cheese. Not just Violife either; other brands that are more or less either oil or starch based have it en masse.

[@ironhead65]

I just realized, I'm happy you do not have to put the animal videos in while eating. Great video as always. I'm planning to try the "churros" from the last video. I appreciate your style and how you explain things. Interesting, entertaining, and well worth it spending time with you!

[@VgnRaj]

Your dog test was the best!

[@africa_everyday]

I'll love to have a taste.

[@WagonPilotAdventures]

I always enjoy seeing items reviewed by people outside of the product's 'fandom.' Gives a more honest opinion of how the general public might think of the item.

[@AlissaSss23]

It looks like your fan base is very similar in a few ways: we all find your videos soothing/ calming, we are all entertained by them, all of us discovered your channel by chance and started watching you specifically for one category (in my case foraging) and stay for the rest of the content too. Just like a lot of your subscribers, I'm not a vegan but I like all food, so I'm always grateful for your videos where you review vegan foods. This way I know what to buy or not. Also I appreciate your honesty and fairness. Best Regards, I hope you've found some exciting dairy free cheeses for your lactose intolerant daughter to enjoy with you and family at Christmas

[@ferdslegions3565]

I have a lactose problem as well. Thankfully there is a product called "Lactaid" they take the lactose out and I love it!! No more stomach issues and it tastes great! Lasts up to two months instead of a week hopefully you can get it in your country. Always enjoy your videos.

[@sunnyscott4876]

Oddly enough, unless a cheese has a very aggressive flavor or distinctive texture such as Brie, I cannot taste the difference between cheese. It's weird and kinda frustrating 😕. Thanks for sharing your wonderful experiences and thoughts. All the best to you from Charlotte NC USA 🇺🇸. ❤💛🌟⭐🌟💛❤

[@skrimper]

That's the most depressing thing I've ever heard 😭 Hope your cheese tasters get fixed some day

[@josh2570]

If you can afford it try and get some different cheddars with different strengths imported from the UK. Try them with crackers and chutney (Branston pickle). You will 100% be able to tell the difference. It will be quite costly though.

[@richardmillican7733]

Worked for Bute Islands Foods who make vegan cheeses for Sainsbury, Asda, Waitrose, Ocado, and even lidls. .. they ship globally. They produce a FULL RANGE of vegan versions from gouda to edam, some better than others, but falling short of real dairy cheese, my favorites were their soft cheeses in particular their garlic and herb. Items are available Holland and Barrett under the manfucturers own identity "Scheese" Pretty much most vegan cheeses in supermarkets were manufactured by them. I recall Violife also being a customer but not 100%

[@astridjones6327]

The Sheese garlic and herb is SO good 😛

[@danpreston564]

No, Violife is made in Greece. It’s not a Bute Island product. I think Violife did soy free before Bute did it.

[@DarkRequiemFilms]

I always feel so hungry after watching these food vids. 🤤

[@simones.3811]

I love how honestly you are but in a respectable manner.

[@sarahs784]

Henderson's sauce is a decent swap for worcestershire sauce as it doesn't have anchovies in, if you can find it in the supermarket.

[@rebmcr]

I've been eating vegan cheeses for about 25 years, this is the only variety to ever remind me of cow's cheese! It's by far the best on the market. Certainly a terrible name for it, though. Other Violife varieties are good too, but the second-place trophy goes to Tesco's own-brand Jalapeño, it's delicious.

[@knowledgeispower5359]

If this is the best that’s out there then there is certainly no hope for vegan cheese.

[@mariakhan7986]

@@knowledgeispower5359 nah Apple woods cheese is the best vegan cheese. That's not just my opinion, they were like vegan cheese of the year around 2018 I think.

[@mariakhan7986]

What's wrong with the name? Genuinely have no idea why it's terrible.

[@knowledgeispower5359]

@@mariakhan7986 because it tastes absolutely nothing like mature cheddar cheese

[@knowledgeispower5359]

@@mariakhan7986 tried it, hated it. Vegan cheese will never be able to substitute real cheese and it’s sad. Cheese has been my favourite thing for years. I want to go vegan but just can’t give it up.

[@ianc4901]

Finally the rescued spoon makes an appearance ! I have been noticing more vegan cheeses popping up on the shelves in my local supermarket and was wondering how they might compare to the real thing, thanks for letting us know.

[@CoffeeKnife]

I love the variety on your channel. I started out just watching your scambaiting videos and I didn't even know you did other stuff until I saw in one scambaiting video you talked about how you did other stuff, which is really cool.

[@Crackracket]

There are quite a few vegan fermented cheeses on the market that may be more to your liking. The sacre blue "Stilton" style cheese may be more like the real thing. From what I've heard the fermented ones have that funk and citric taste you expect and with some they even have the crystal like structure you get with mature harder cheeses

[@reubenschneider3921]

You should try 'Vegusto Piquant Cheese', I've been vegan for 3 years and that's as close to cheddar as I've tasted!

[@troncat3715]

@@Dezmont01 From basic intuition you should also gather animals eat plants for their protein, and you eat them for the proteins they got from the plants. The vegan diet is incredible and it’s a myth that it makes you weak. I for one, recovered from some severe deficiencies after going vegan. Also, non vegans and vegans SHOULD be supplementing b12 anyway, there’s no reliable sources of it other than fortified foods. The vegan diet also helps to reduce carbon emissions, water useage, deforestation and ocean acidification. Plus, you’re not killing an innocent being for a 5 minute meal.

[@jshaw4757]

@@Dezmont01 So you don't have to pay for the blood debt in your next life..if you wanna be born in the next life as a pig on its way to the abotuar then keep going...na I'm only messing that's the Buddhist belief though from 1000s years back they say you eat flesh for your whole life and don't change your mind n mean it before the end In the next life your heading for the dinner plate..but as you say I belive eatinf meat is clearly natural as anything else but maybe the way we slaughter on an industrial scale like now n take liberties with the fish in the ocean just maybe we have gone too far.. just a thought...I eat meat so this isn't a vegan rant but I try to eat 3 days a week n veggy 4 days...don't get me wrong I fail that alot but I'm trying lol...

[@jshaw4757]

@@Dezmont01 you can get everything you need without meat n dairy...problem is you need to eat alot.. So if you gonna be vegan I say be a fat vegan gorge yourself on all the natural fats n food ..but they can eat carbs also which you can survive on pretty much alone

[@MannyJazzcats]

@@troncat3715 it doesn't help reduce deforestation at all,if anything it causes more,and more wild animals have to be killed as pests,I think you need to research a bit further before you decide you are a hero.The main problem these days is that people don't want to take responsibility for how their food is produced and the world would change for the better if they did

[@jonhambrey]

@@Dezmont01 what a silly comment, I'm no vegan, but a vegan diet is better for animals and the environment almost all necessary nutrients are available in a vegan diet and as you stated supplements are available for those that aren't.

[@tricky2917]

Always appreciate it when someone knows how to pronounce Gouda.

[@eloquentsarcasm]

Merlot BellaVitano became one of my favorite cheeses the first time I tasted it, just something about it struck a chord in me. Combining it with a bit of Viking Blod honey mead is a perfect combo for me. Thanks to a local "cheese whiz" I finally discovered a bleu cheese that doesn't make me want to spew. Murray's Dansk Blue is fantastic, dunno if you can get it in the UK though. We have a family owned company that supplies the store I work at with an amazing blackberry, jalapeno preserve that when mixed with a buttery cracker and some of the Dansk Blue makes for an utterly awesome combination. The salty bite of the Blue hits first, then the sweetness of the preserves mixed with the butter of the cracker, and finally a bit of heat from the jalapenos finishes it off. The Eva Test is always a joy to see, that little beastie is a wonderful addition to these taste tests, always a pleasure to see her in your videos. One of the few vegan products I eat regularly is a brand called Morningstar here in the States, they make an amazing breakfast sausage that I actually prefer over most "traditional" meat sausages.

[@Albinojackrussel]

I'd say the violife cheeses are incredibly good in a Mac and cheese or a cheese toastie, precisely for the reasons you don't like it (that gooey texture). Adam Ragusea has a video on Mac and cheese where he says his secret ingredient is basically those American "cheese" slices, because they help with the emulsifying process. I think the violife does basically the same thing. Obviously you don't get that same *cheese* flavour you might want in Mac and cheese, but if you're happy with a milder cheese sauce then it works amazing

[@GirishManjunathMusic]

He actually says to use sodium citrate with good cheeses and milk, but amercian emulsified cheese is a good shortcut.

[@awhite3747]

Absolutely right. It's the sodium citrate that is key to Adam's dish and won't work with Violife. Atomic Shrimp cheese on toast showed that I think.

[@fnjesusfreak]

The Orange Stuff is basically the same thing as American Pasteurized Cheese Food, so that doesn't surprise me.

[@ea5145]

These options may not be available in his area but there are a couple lines of vegan cream cheeses that have been really cultured so they're very tangy and make a great addition to a cheese sauce. (Miyokos is one example.) A mix of that + some vegan American cheese slices would be dreamy

[@IstasPumaNevada]

"I like mature cheeses that make your face hurt when you eat them." Have you tried Cabrales DOP? It is the most aggressive cheese I've yet tried, and I love it.

[@AtomicShrimp]

Not sure I have, but I welcome the recommendation. Angry cheese here we come!

[@nistral]

really enjoy these videos, thank you mr. shrimp

[@asmolbean9300]

Yess I've wondered what this tasted like. *Grabs popcorn*

[@nickyleary6005]

Like with most of these 'imitation' products I suspect the relationship between: a) how much you think it's like the real thing and, b) how long it is since you actually ate the real thing ... Is inversely proportional

[@yuviaro3511]

I love watching each video of AtomicShrimp, even though most aren't too useful to me. He's just pleasant to listen to. I'm not a big fan for meat substitutes honestly except for the ones which aren't really based on meat such as falaffel, but that might be because I don't like meat generally. However, while meat substitutes can be quite like meat, cheese substitutes aren't really like cheese and maybe buttered marmite with some sweet Asian sauce might do better. pretty much like in this video but without the fake cheese.

[@ollieb9875]

Had a sudden urge to make a cheese toasty a couple of minutes in to this installment. Nevermind, I'm back now, you may continue. Thanks. 🥳👍🍻

[@zacharywidener]

You know just about everything there is to know about cheese and toast, especially when eaten together. I love cheese almost as much as I love your content. Been watching your videos (started with scambaiting) for years now from America. Thank you, and keep it up!!

[@harrymcnally6437]

I think normal cheese also tastes less cheesy when hot. Never really thought about it before, but I hate cold cheese, but melted cheese is fine on garlic bread or a pizza or something.

[@bittehiereinfugen7723]

So far, I've found every vegan cheese I've tried horrible. Somewhere between plastic and wax in texture, excessively salty and an indefinable aroma that had nothing to do with cheese. I really and sincerely feel sorry for the people who can't eat cheese and would like an adequate substitute, vegan cheese doesn't seem to be a real solution so far.

[@rebel4466]

Same here. Especially in "real cheese" as in stuff that melts and hardens when getting cold again. You can do some kinds of sauces that remind you of cheese without tasting really cheesy. Like cashews and nutritional yeast for example. But no substitute came close enough to the real stuff for me

[@ea5145]

Actually there's lots of great vegan cheese! Some people tried it for the first time a few years back when the best options weren't widespread. And even the companies you may have tried in the past have updated their recipes! I make cheese-involved dishes every day as a vegan and they've even impressed non vegans! Usually the better options involve nut based milk that has been actually cultured like dairy cheese.

[@thcSlipVayne]

@@ea5145 they were just trying not to hurt your feelings. If you eat actual cheese regularly then non dairy cheese tastes like sweaty ass.

[@zwuai3801]

I find with cultured cashew cheeses a lot of omnivores can't tell the difference - it has the funky tang thing real cheese has because of the cultures, it usually passes the "it's cheese" test, if not specifically which cheese it's mimicking. You can't find them in supermarkets but at least in the UK there are companies that stock them like La Fauxmagerie

[@voluntarism335]

What do you expect from basically just oil?

[@Cooper....]

Mr Shrimp I could watch you eat cheese all day, I love your videos! ☺

[@smuchapreciated1959]

these products saves lives. literally

[@Ericbomb]

Lactose free and soy free? Yooo I'm allergic to those two things and was just brooding over wanting cheese. Curb cut effect between vegans and people with allergies is pretty large, so I appreciate you being a non vegan trying this stuff out.

[@stapuft]

the way you describe its texture, SOUNDS almost like they were trying to imitate "kraft american 'cheese' slices" instead of a mature cheddar. but the flavor sounds more like the person making it had cheddar described to them, rather than actually tasting it themselves.

[@MannyJazzcats]

More likely they couldn't get it to be like actual cheddar in texture

[@MeCooper]

That's actually what I was thinking too... Then I sat here for a good 5 mins trying to figure out if Kraft cheese is vegan... ...I mean... I've always assumed it's made from mixing rubber and plastic.

[@karlapalmer9328]

Eva is so sweet and so gentle with her morsels.

[@Quebecoisegal]

I love Eva's "eye brows" markings!

[@AtomicShrimp]

Apparently they are a communication thing between dogs with the black/tan types of marking. I've certainly noticed Eva interacts differently with similar coloured dogs

[@EtienneSnyman]

I get that brand in my shops too! Yeah vegan cheese isn't cheese, but for people who want to / need to go vegan, it's great.

[@luriopomeo4893]

The vialife stuff is okay (vegan here) I prefer the apple wood stuff

[@enjoysilence4146]

Hi Shrimp, As someone used to eat a lot of cheese before going vegan years ago, I can strongly recommend KoKo Cheese. It's a much more creamy and mellow flavour than most others and has a more brittle texture than most vegan cheeses too. It’s very hard to find, I've only seen it at Waitrose or Home Bargins, but if you do get the chance I'd urge you to try it, it's the only one I've had that I could not tell was vegan.

[@danpreston564]

I hated that stuff! Tasted like solid coconut oil. But I know loads of people who like it.

[@colin15545]

Bagel setting!!!! I thought to myself "Whoa! That's fancy!" I've just had a look on my toaster (which I've had for about 15 years) and it's got a button for toasting on just one side as well😁It's one of those buttons that I've never actually tried - or even register that is there😄 Can't wait to get some bagels and give it a try. Thanks👍

[@michael2908]

I’m glad I’m not the only one who gets face ache when they eat mature cheddar. I’ve told my friends about this and they laughed at me!

[@foxman105]

At first I've read it as "Epic Manure cheese" and was quite confused....

[@GavinJ06]

I've had a lot of vegan cheeses and that's probably the best one. A lot of them are very bad although there are a couple of good vegan cream cheeses. There's a few companies out there that are making whey in labs that are being used to make ice cream though so maybe if they start using that to make cheeses someone could come out with something a lot better. I'm sure someone is working on it.

[@ellem2293]

Ahhh lovely to get on YT & see Mike has uploaded. I love cheese but cheese doesnt love me, well I have an intollerence so lactose free is the best for me but I do munch light mature cheddar (Cathedral City) with some crackers n pickle MMMMmmmmm :D Thanks Mike!

[@iannonhebel677]

Well put together

[@raspberryslush]

Question While I know these test are meant to be faithful to these products being vegan, I wonder if these products would be noticeable if you mixed them up with the real version. More as a way to lower your animal product intake, instead of just not consuming it. Example, for this product, how would ie behave, melt, and taste if you mixed the shredded faux chedder with real chedder before melting. Also, for the faux meat products, how would they taste in a sandwich with a 50/50 mix with the real meat versions? Would the real bacon cover up the issues and problems with the fake bacon? I know this is probably just me wondering, and it does miss the point of these products by quite a bit, it's just something I'm wondering because I personally would like to lower the amount of meat I normally eat but I'm not really sold on these products yet.

[@symetryrtemys2101]

I think that’s worthwhile. Like aversion therapy, if you gradually phase out the real cheese will the fake cheese become more palatable?

[@lokitakahashi3042]

i can actually answer that. the cheese is noticeable by flavor in say a grilled cheese, its ive got good cheese mixed with ..some strange like say if you melted swiss and a little bit blue cheese together. and bacon and turkey bacon flavorish mix is i have 2 completely different meats in this BLT. this is because i had to house sit and they told me to eat the food, but the wife was some form of vegetarian I think and I like to experiment. oh and the BLT wasn't bad, it just wasn't all bacon

[@hollywebster6844]

That approach would probably be helpful for transitioning to a more plant based eating plan. It takes a while to retrain your taste buds. My son had to go off of dairy. I mixed his cow's milk with more and more soy milk over a couple of weeks and this helped him wean off of dairy.

[@brionleverich942]

It feels like that Dilbert sketch where they name the product, before deciding what it is. I think vegan products should at some point ask what they most resemble and market from there. Its hard to create substitutes for something so specific.

[@hobobeard]

Eva is a wonderful pup. I love her.

[@Orpilorp]

Those look like excellent cheeses! Here in mid America we get a few wonderful imported cheddars. I tried one that was so lovely and sharp it tasted like a Bleu cheese. I also am lactose intolerant, but I can eat cheese if I keep to my 4 day rotation diet. It helps the adrenal glands to not get stressed. I eat cheese every 4 days. Maybe your daughter could try that. Also, making ghee out of your butter removes the milk solids so it digests better. I love your taste testing videos especially the weird stuff in a can.

[@TJEssary]

I've often wondered: I hear all the time that Nutritional Yeast tastes like cheese. But, of all the cheese alternatives that I've ever looked at, none of them show nutritional yeast in the ingredients. Is there any such product? I'm not vegan/vegetarian, just look at them out of curiosity.

[@richtubber7740]

I don't think you could really say Nutritional Yeast tastes like cheese. It's got a certain saltiness/nuttiness/tanginess that can be somewhat 'cheesy' (or cheese-reminiscent) but it is its own thing really. Good stuff though.

[@YuukiuuYik]

I live in poland, ive seen nutritional yeast in some products here, mostly products that are to taste cheesy. Nutritional yeast in my opinion has that cheesiness to it, but its not exactly like cheese. If you mix it in ur pasta sauce though itll definitely taste a bit like that! I use it as a substitute for parmegian. Since its salty and smelly:)

[@YuukiuuYik]

Oh right, and its full of b12!

[@mariakhan7986]

It's like a nutty slightly cheesy taste so good for cheese sauces.

[@bobbyvonbobinson1555]

Opossums are pretty swell.

[@bensargeant3435]

As a meat eater myself who lived with a vegan for 3 years I found the flavour of a lot of violife products very palatable as a substitute but not a replacement. The melting was an issue that I struggled to get to work well after trying many methods limiting the potential uses in cooking.

[@ddhu5396]

As an American I am fascinated by the pickled walnuts and must now track some down. The spicy marmite as well, that looks interesting too

[@stapuft]

hol up....did you say "pickled walnuts"? that sounds so odd and unique, i didnt even know you COULD pickle walnuts....i kinda wanna try some...

[@AtomicShrimp]

Sweet, salty, tangy, spicy. They're really good - they are picked at the green, immature stage and pickled by a sort of fermentation process partway, then stored in spiced vinegar - I made a video about them: kzbin.info/www/bejne/ZpaYYY2ZpreBr6c

[@stapuft]

@@AtomicShrimp oh awesome, thank you!

[@dennis8196]

No different to pickling body parts, makes the meat last longer - Jeffery Dahmer

[@beeragainsthumanity1420]

You can pickle anything.

[@stapuft]

@@beeragainsthumanity1420 ....i now am cursed to wonder if anyone has pickled cheese...off to the dark corners of youtube to find out lol edit, you can, its apparantly VERY common in north eastern europe

[@jonathanrichards593]

"Behaves in a completely different whey". Heh, of course it does 🙂

[@fp1912]

I really like this brand of cheese! I eat it all the time, but the best brand by far is Miyoko’s cultured vegan cheeses. Thanks for making this vid!

[@k8eekatt]

What a cute new table cloth! 🐦

[@LailandiAdventures]

So I've heard from vegans that when they switched their diet their palette became more sensitive and could pick up the more nuanced flavours in things such as salads and other rather uninteresting foods. Maybe that's why the flavours of these products always seem lacking?

[@xPandamon]

I think it's just placebo. They probably give it less flavour so it won't taste as fake, too much and you notice there's something wrong

[@rebel4466]

You're not wrong there. I've been living a vegan whole foods life for a year (out of curiosity) and you do pick up on a lot more tastes (after switching back, milk for example had a pretty strong barn-smell type flavor to it and meat, especially the "affordable" type, had a bloody-metallic taste. Kind of like the smell in a slaughterhouse). As for the products, I think it's just very hard to get excessive amounts of flavor into something, if your only option are plant based materials

[@rebel4466]

Small addition: while I avoided most of the ready-made vegan products, I was always looking for something cheesy. Made stuff, bought stuff... Never found something nice. Especially when doing a meal in the oven, something with cheesy properties would have been great. No need for a real sauce, no need for fake egg to stabilize a bake and adding flavor on top. Haven't found it in that year... But I didn't have access to today's variety of products

[@LailandiAdventures]

@@xPandamon That's a very good point. They do fermented soy curds so I wonder if there's a way to make it more "cheesy" to get that depth of flavour

[@LailandiAdventures]

@@rebel4466 If they could crack vegan feta cheese they'd be on to a winner!

[@GigaBoost]

Reminder that anti-GMO is anti-Science

[@Totalinternalreflection]

Yeah I agree. I thinks it’s fear of the unknown, I mean people could learn but it’s easier to listen to crazies and bad actors on the internet and take your opinions from that I guess.

[@peterclarke7240]

While I completely agree, I suspect the reason some people are a bit wary of gmo food isn't that it's genetically modified, but that it might be being sold by the sort of corporate entities who's morality has been surgically removed. The kind that wouldn't have a problem selling nutrient-deficient powdered milk to poor mothers, while claiming it was better than breast milk, and who spend more on their legal team than on product testing.

[@GigaBoost]

@@peterclarke7240 Monsanto aren't the only ones using GMOs. Be anti-Monsanto, they're an awful awful corporation, and I'm sure there are other examples - but GM is a tool, and like all tools you can use it in a constructive, positive way or a harmful negative way. Let's not be anti-hammer just because a few people have used hammers to bash their spouses brains in.

[@Totalinternalreflection]

@@GigaBoost that was a really descriptive but effective way of explaining your point. Nice.

[@thomasherzog86]

amen.

[@psychedelikchameleon]

Please review more vegan cheeses! I'm really enjoying this review format

[@rulergod45g]

Being from Worcester, I love it when people say Worcester sauce instead of Worcestershire sauce. You said the latter twice but Worcester sauce once 💪

[@janikesina7813]

holy FRICK it sucks to be vegan! Good thing im not one!

[@andyrob3259]

I can’t believe they call something not made of dairy or cultured ‘cheese’. It’s nothing off the sort - it’s a block of yellow stuff made up of other things. It’s like getting a block of wood, spraying it silver and calling it metal.

[@Adventist1997]

As an American, you can just call it a grill, and we'll know what you mean.

[@AtomicShrimp]

You might, and I truly appreciate that, but yesterday, I had someone telling me that 'self raising flour' should be pronounced 'self-rising'

[@Adventist1997]

@@AtomicShrimp As with all languages, some people just have preferences in how they speak. Or just in how they learned to speak. Like tomato pronounced, "to-May-toe", or "to-mah-toe". People in America use both.

[@AtomicShrimp]

Absolutely, however, some people impose their preferences as corrections on foreigners, and that really grates (pun intended)

[@jacquespoulemer3577]

@@AtomicShrimp I'm supris(z)ed self-r(a)ising flour ever got off the ground. 🙂 Love the channel the comments fun to read through. Jim, Oaxaca, Mexico

[@SuitableName]

I think shrimp is just having fun eating loads of cheese, love these comparisons!

[@philaphobic]

I find mushroom ketchup a great sub for worcestershire sauce. I have never tried pickled walnuts but I would love to try!