Chao by Field Roast

My Chao Purchase @ Whole Foods

Vegan "cheese" products are more common, but finding a quality product (or one that isn't terrible) can be difficult.  I have heard a lot about Chao by Field Roast from vegans and non-vegans because it is the closest thing, texturally and taste-wise, to the real thing.  Since I don't have a Whole Foods near me, and the closest Mother's Market that carries it is not close at all, I took a trip to LA.  Yes, I will travel for food, especially when it's good.  Upon entering Whole Foods, I did some shopping before heading to the refrigerated section.  The vegan cheese-like product section is already quite small, and I was worried that my trip would all be for not.  Luckily, they had all three flavors in stock.

Each package comes with 7oz (10 slices) of pre-sliced product.  When I took the slices out of the package they felt a bit waxy.  I started to have my doubts, but kept an open mind, since I hadn't tasted them yet.  When I took my first bite of each of the flavors I noticed that my teeth didn't really sink into the product, but the taste was surprising.  If you read my vegan post, you know that I didn't have dairy for some time.  At the time, the alternatives were not that great, and mostly tasted of plastic.  Chao definitely does not taste like plastic.  Should you decide to try it on its own I will say that it breaks down to be a bit grainy, but as it melts, it becomes more cheese-like.  Each flavor is creamy, and the one that tastes the most like dairy cheese, in my opinion, is the tomato cayenne.  It closely resembles a spicy cheddar, and the creamy original is similar to a monterey jack.  The coconut herb is interesting, and I can't quite figure out what it's suppose to resemble.  Chao is about $5.00 a pack, so it's not cheap, but if you're looking for a good dairy cheese alternative, then it's worth the price.           

I have used it in place of real cheese in my grilled cheese, macaroni & cheese, cold sandwiches, and of course I tried it on its own.  My favorite flavors are the original and tomato cayenne.  They do melt similarly to the way Kraft singles do in a grilled cheese, but if you use too much, the sandwich becomes a bit squidgy.   

As I try out new recipes, I will do my best to post them.  Field Roast lists some recipes that can be found here.  Have you tried Chao?  What's your favorite recipe that includes the product?

Stay beautiful!