We recently had the good fortune to trial the many flavors of Sheese.  These wonderful wedges of dairy-free “cheese” are being welcomed onto the market with great enthusiasm.  Well, as it happens, the folks at Sheese have a spreadable line as well.  This may be well known to those in the U.K., but to those of us in the U.S., Creamy Sheese is still a foreign product.  Luckily, there is rumor that the spreads may make their way across the ocean soon.  As a sneak preview, we got our hands on some of these Creamy Sheeses to give them a trial run.  Though there are five varieties, I had the opportunity to taste three, the Original, Garlic & Herb, and Mexican.  

Original

Packaged in a really cool tub, with a lid that I struggled against slightly but eventually came to terms with, the Original truly looked like cream cheese.  The color was a fair and attractive white, and the image was one of a thick and creamy spread.  At first, I was concerned when my knife met with some resistance, but the density quickly gave way to spread with ease atop my crackers. 

As for the taste, it was very cream cheese like, but somehow leaned a bit toward a more cheesy spread.  However, it has been many years since my taste buds have come in contact with real cream cheese.  With this in mind, I grabbed a tub of Tofutti that I just happened to have on hand for a little comparison.  The two were similar, yet distinctly different.  The Tofutti was just a bit sweeter and did seem to lean more toward authentic cream cheese.  However, the Sheese fit the “cheese” bill just a bit better, making it a product I might draw upon as a general spread.  I do think Tofutti vs Sheese would really come down to a matter of personal taste.  I could easily see room on the market for these slightly divergent products. 

Back to the general testing of its cream cheesability, I decided to use the Sheese to make a cream cheese frosting for some spice cupcakes.  It was delicious, and realistically, I couldn’t detect a difference between this frosting, and the prior Tofutti based one I had made.

Overall, I do think the Original Creamy Sheese would be an easy one to slide by unassuming dairy consumers.  It had a very smooth texture with no funny aftertaste.  I wonder how it would work in “cheesecake?”

Garlic and Herb

As I popped open the package of Garlic & Herb I was met with a rather unappetizing cement-like color.  While I applaud the Sheese people for not relying upon artificial colors and enhancers for visual appeal, I could see this less than attractive color being a problem for the American palate. 

Of course, as someone who certainly doesn’t discriminate when it comes to the look of my food, I generously slathered some of the Sheese spread atop my crackers for an afternoon snack.  Luckily, the taste did not mirror the look.  A sophisticated blend of garlic and herbs seemed to be matched in perfect proportion.  A zesty cream cheese tang burst through, but mellowed into the overall flavor which wasn’t too potently garlic.  I really liked this spread atop a bagel and crackers. 

It was a shame, by the taste alone, this is a spread I might consider serving to guests as an “unknown” dairy-free spread.  However, with its grayish image, I fear it would go largely un-tasted.

Mexican

My final struggle with the Sheese lids (I really am sad with packaging) turned out to be very worthwhile.  As I pealed back the freshness seal, my eyes were met with a wonderfully appetizing light orange color.  Have no fear; it wasn’t that artificial neon orange.  Rather, it was a color I could easily imagine from the simple blend of their fair-colored Original with real tomatoes or bell peppers. 

At last, I had found a creamy (dairy-free) spread that may actually lure in my dairy-addicted guests.  Now for the real question: After being suckered in for their first taste, would they go back for more?  My first knife-full spread with the same ease as the other two.  So far, so good…

As my tongue met with the first bite, it was greeted by that smooth Creamy Sheese texture.  An element of cheese and tomato gently emerged and then … the zest of Mexican spices literally burst onto the scene.  The tangy cream cheese flavor was the only oddity I noted in the overall flavor, but it was easily masked by the spices and moderate, yet not overwhelming, heat that served as an brief aftertaste.  While my heat-averse taste buds could only do the Mexican Sheese in moderation, it was easily addictive, quite unique, and perfect for parties of a mixed diet nature.  For a general bagel schmear, I would probably go for the Garlic & Herb first. 

All in all, I give the Creamy Sheeses two thumbs up, and hope that they will be making their way to the U.S. soon.  Each seemed to have its own appeal, and while I have never been a huge cheese consumer, this is a product I wouldn’t hesitate to enjoy on occasion.

My Extra Notes & Tips

• I do hope that the people at Sheese decide to export.  While Tofutti is an excellent product, only one of their “cream cheeses” is made without hydrogenated oils.  Each of the flavored Tofutti Better Than Cream Cheeses is made with partially hydrogenated oils (a.k.a. trans fats), while the all of the Creamy Sheese flavors are made with plain old vegetable oils, and trans fat free. 
• Creamy Sheese is certified vegan.
• For a look a peek the other two varieties and an opposing opinion on the Original, see Hannah’s review.

How to Purchase:  At the moment, Creamy Sheese is only available in the U.K. from Bute Island Foods.  However, the folks at Black Duck Imports are considering bringing it into the U.S.

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