Mozzarella is an Italian classic: gently melting, mild in taste and simply irresistibly creamy. A simple tomato salad becomes a real culinary experience with the cheese specialty from Italy.
However, anyone who follows a vegan diet was denied the opportunity to enjoy this delicacy for a long time. Like all other cheese products, the tasty cheese is based on milk and is therefore not on the vegan menu.
Vegan mozzarella - how does it work?
Definitely not in the familiar form. Whether puristically pure or as a delicious component to refine dishes - as a vegan you can instead rely on purely vegan alternatives to the Italian original without any animal products.
And the best thing about it : Vegan products of this type are really tasty and can also be made quickly and easily. You actually only need half a dozen ingredients to make your own vegan version of the popular cheese .
From buffalo milk and the like to 100 percent vegan ingredients
This is no different with the original version. The classic, but not vegan, mozzarella cheese is one of the pasta filata cheeses and is traditionally made from buffalo milk and just a handful of other ingredients.
Its origins lie in southern Lazio, Campania and Naples. According to tradition, the first cheese of this type was made in these regions from the milk of domestic buffaloes as early as the second century.
The Romans are also said to have been familiar with the preparation of mozzarella cheese. This is indicated by finds from the 5th century. But it was not until 1570 that the name of this specific type of cheese first appeared in various writings.
This is also the case in the culinary works written by Bartolomeo Scappi (personal chef of several popes). Even back then he raved about the taste and the variety of preparation options.
Plant-based foods: Vegan cheese substitutes are a big topic in the innovative food industry
In the 20th century, the cheese with its typically mild and sour taste began a culinary triumph in Europe, which pushed it to the top of the popularity scale. This popularity has persisted to this day.
What has changed, however, are the demands and requirements for a healthy diet. Many people now completely avoid animal ingredients in their food and consistently rely on purely plant-based products.
The production of vegan alternatives for cheese also plays an important role within the innovative food industry. Companies like Greenforce support this development with ever new food products that are 100 percent vegan and sustainable.
Greenforce's commitment to these issues has long been recognized internationally. In 2021, the company also received the Vegan Food Award and the Green Product Award from the animal protection organization PETA.
Fact: Animals die an early death to make buffalo milk mozzarella
The consistent use of substitutes not only benefits the environment and climate protection, but also sends a clear signal against animal suffering and the killing of male buffalo calves. Because these are exactly the sad consequences of making mozzarella from buffalo milk.
It's actually paradoxical that the so -called Mozzarella di bufala campana also enjoys cult status as a delicacy. This is also reflected in the price. Compared to the milder cow's milk mozzarella, a cheese based on buffalo milk costs about four times as much.
However, this high price is bought at a much higher price. Because the male buffalo calves pay the highest price possible - and that is their lives.
This has the following background : In order to secure the supply of buffalo milk for the production of mozzarella cheese, it must be ensured that the buffalo cow also produces milk regularly.
To do this, however, it is necessary for the buffalo cows to give birth to a calf once a year. If it is a female calf, it is then reared normally and is later also available as a supplier of buffalo milk.
Male calves, on the other hand, are slaughtered again around three weeks after their birth. They cannot give milk, which means they have no further use in making buffalo milk-based cheese .
And that's not all: many male calves don't even survive the legally stipulated period of three weeks. They starve and die in the breeding farm beforehand.
This saves the farm the cost of feed and slaughtering the animals at the slaughterhouse. Did you know that the Italian region of Campania even has its own cemeteries for male buffalo?
These mozzarella alternatives are a better choice
This is one of the reasons why plant-based foods in the form of cheese variations are a better alternative. Preparing vegan mozzarella substitutes is really easy. There are different options, but the basis is always cashew nuts .
As additional ingredients, you can choose, for example, unsweetened soy yogurt and agar agar as a gelatine replacement . Add a little salt and tapioca starch, that's all you need for your alternative to the traditional cheese specialty from Italy.
Here's how to do it if you only want to use vegan products:
- Soak about 150 grams of cashews in plenty of water for about two to three hours, then simply drain them.
- Then put the cashews together with 240 to 250 grams of soy yogurt, three tablespoons of salt and 120 ml of water in a blender and puree the ingredients. Then put the resulting porridge in a bowl, cover it with a plate and let it steep or mature for about 24 hours. If the mixture has a sour, cheesy smell, it's time to stir in the tapioca starch using a whisk.
- Now add the yogurt-cashew mix. Cook everything slowly over medium heat for five to eight minutes, stirring constantly.
- Then use an ice cream scoop or a large spoon to gradually remove the vegan mozzarella balls from the pot and carefully place them in a previously prepared bowl of ice water. The balls stay there for about 30 minutes before you store your cheese substitute in salted water (three grams of salt for 100 ml of water) in the refrigerator for consumption.
Make vegan alternatives to real classics in the kitchen
The mild taste of vegan mozzarella makes it a great ingredient for many different recipes. The mix of cashew nuts and soy yoghurt is also good for gratinating and goes well with both veggie pizza and vegetable casseroles.
Just give it a try and create your personal favorite dish with cheese from purely plant-based ingredients.
You can use these two examples as a source of inspiration:
- Toast Carozza - enjoy a special kind of sandwich toast made from whole grain spelled, topped with vegan cheese, basil, plant-based cooked ham and egg substitute
- Insalata alla Caprese - a mix of creamy cheese alternative with aromatic tomato, refined with basil. This brings freshness to every plate and is presented in the Italian national colors.
Your options for incorporating vegan mozzarella cheese into dishes are huge. For example, grilled cheese sandwiches, pasta Alfredo, spaetzle casserole, creamy asparagus pasta, Brussels sprouts pasta or even classic mini pizzas are particularly tasty.
At Greenforce you will find delicious and sustainable alternatives for meat and fish. You can combine these substitutes perfectly with your mozzarella alternative !