6 vegan cheese start-ups in Asia for your plant-based fromage fix

If there’s one thing that’s a little tough to give up when going plant-based, it’s the cheeseboard. Pre-dinner, post-meal, during cocktail hour or as a snack, cheese and crackers is the ultimate in gorging food. But a new age of ethical, sustainable and healthy food consumption is upon us and dairy cheese is on its way out. It’s all about nut, seed and bean cheese from now on. Across Asia (and the globe), herbivores are demanding better plant-based cheese and a bevy of start-ups have sprung up to meet the demand. So if you’re a plant-based foodie struggling to find a decent cheese alternative, rest assured, we have you covered. Here is a guide to the best vegan cheese companies in the region.

In A Nutshell – Philippines

Whipping up handcrafted dairy- and cruelty- free cheese from Manila since 2015, In A Nutshell uses locally sourced cashews, non-GMO tofu and soy milk. Offering an assortment from Boursin to Herbed Feta, Smoked Gouda to Pepper Jack and lots of others, all their products are also gluten-free.

Moon Cheese – Taiwan

Each wheel of Moon Cheese is lovingly handmade by owners Stephanie and James of artisanal vegan cheese company Moon Cheese in Taipei. Made in small batches and left to ferment for three days to a week – longer for the cheddar blocks – the beauty of this brand rests in all the fresh herbs and spices to give their products a power-packed punch (as opposed to large amounts of salt, which can be found in most popular vegan cheeses).

Kroodi – Singapore

This gluten-, refined-sugar, preservative-free line of premium vegan cheeses makes Kroodi one of Singapore’s favourite plant-based brands. Founded by Claudia Cani in 2017, Kroodi’s handcrafted wheels are prepared at low temperatures to maintain their nutritional value. Raw and unprocessed as much as possible, the cheese is available in three flavours with an Italian twist.

My Plant Deli – Malaysia