By: Lauren Hyde
The vegan cheese brand, Violife is sponsoring Veganuary to encourage food lovers to go vegan for the month of January. The company began developing its plant-based cheese nearly 30 years ago in Greece. As cheese lovers, they were looking for an alternative to regular dairy cheese to accommodate the Greek Orthodox fasting tradition that lasts for 100 days out of the year. They still wanted to be able to enjoy cheese while fasting, but dairy products weren’t allowed to be consumed. After several years of experimentation with over 3,000 recipes, Violife was born.
Since starting in Greece the brand has expanded to over 50 countries, including the U.S. Violife came to the U.S. a couple of years ago, selling their cheese through natural and specialty markets. Plant-based diets have become increasingly popular among Americans over the past few years. Consumers are making the change because of their morals, to improve their overall health and diet, and simply because it’s an intriguing trend. Violife’s plant-based cheese quickly became a huge hit due to its delicious taste.
In general vegan cheese products have a bad reputation. Violife is turning that stereotype around. They don’t compromise when it comes to taste and texture. What makes them stand out among their competitors is their ingredients. They use a coconut oil base while other brands use nut bases. Their cheeses don’t contain preservatives, nuts, soy, gluten, dairy, or lactose and are Non-GMO Project verified. Plus, they’re a great source of Vitamin B12, which is essential for a plant-based diet. Violife looks like, tastes like, and has the texture of dairy cheese; you won’t be able to tell the difference.
“Simply put, Violife has been created for cheese-loving consumers who want the taste of cheese and want to add a tasty vegan cheese to their time-tested recipes in the same way as they would dairy-based cheese,” said Violife Brand Lead, Erica Cheung. “Violife fits many lifestyles or food options. Whether you’re a vegan, dairy-free for diet or ethical reasons, or someone that is looking for an easy – and tasty way – to add more plant-based foods into their diet, all cheese lovers can enjoy our products.”
Now is the perfect time to try Violife. This holiday season they released the EPIC Dairy-Free Festive Platter that features three kinds of cheese: Mature Cheddar, Smoked Cheddar, and the new Garlic and Chili Cheddar. The Mature Cheddar and Smoked Cheddar are available year-round, but the Garlic and Chili Cheddar is only available as a limited holiday edition.
These cheeses can be used in quesadillas, casseroles, macaroni, and cheese, or can even be melted into your favorite potato side dish this holiday season. Use them to make your own charcuterie board with a vegan twist in honor of Veganuary. Or you can simply enjoy them straight out of the package with a glass of wine. Check out Violife’s website for more inspiration and recipes.
