For the majority of my life, I've experienced the bitter taste of lactose intolerance in my gut and in my soul. As a result, I simply avoided milk and cheese at all costs. Unfortunately, the siren song of a juicy burger with a hearty slice of cheese or a piping hot pizza straight from the oven would often haunt me.
As many coworkers have pointed out when I mention how much I miss cheese, we now live in an age where plant-based cheese alternatives are bountiful. Some are developed enough to just hit the spot, while others are so close that you actually can't tell the difference between them or the real thing.
One of the more popular brands of vegan cheese slices, you'll find Follow Your Heart on the menu of viral vegan burger chains like Monty's Good Burger. I've had their cheddar on many a vegan burger, and frankly, it tastes nearly identical.
While Kite Hill is probably best known for their yogurts, they also produce almond milk-based cheeses such as ricotta. According to fellow Foodbeast, Constantine Spyrou, their plant-based ricotta is probably one of the best vegan cheese substitutes he's had.
The passion project of award-winning vegan chef Miyoko Schinner, Mikoyo's Creamery is believed to be one of the first brands to bring vegan cheeses into the mainstream. Mikoyo produces high-quality cheeses from nut milks that even include artisanal vegan cheese wheels.
A good smoked salmon bagel is something I'll never turn down — even if the lactose gets the best of me for the rest of the day. Fortunately, Wayfare Foods specializes in dairy-free cream cheeses (with flavors like onion chive, green olive, and jalapeño) that may be the perfect solution to my bagel predicament.
Foodbeast's Analiese Trimber, a fellow lactose-intolerant soul who's tried nearly every iteration of vegan cheeses, told me that Bute Islands was one of the best vegan cheeses she's experienced.
"My favorite was the Greek style," she said. "It was fashioned after feta cheese and their rendition was super creamy and slightly tangy, just like a good feta."