Cultured Kitchen Cashew Cheese

I have fond memories of eating smoked cheddar cheese on crackers with my dad, who passed away just over nine years ago. I keep searching for a vegan version of that flavor and texture to get a little bit of that memory back. I found something new to try on a recent vacation.

Cultured Kitchen of Sacramento offers several vegan cashew cheeses and one is called "Smoked Cheddar." To be honest, it doesn't really hit the mark for what I remember, but it is a very tasty product and I am enjoying it thoroughly.

It comes in a tub and is more of a cheese dip or spread than anything you can slice. The ingredients are simple: raw cashews, cold smoked paprika, coconut aminos, Himalayan sea salt, spices and active cultures. It's vegan, raw and gluten-free. For now it seems to be available only in the Sacramento, Ca area and in a few stores and at local farmers' markets. I found it on a weekend trip while shopping at the Gluten-Free Specialty Store. This is an easy product to just set out with crackers or crudites.