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31

Mar

2006

Making Raw Cheese Taste Cheesy!

Saved in:-   Raw Food Ingredients


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200_cheese.jpgIn my search for the ultimate nut cheese, i’ve seen and tried numerous recipes containing various ingredients.  But one of the ingredients that interested me most that i’ve seen used time and time again is Nutrional Yeast (NY).  It interests me for 2 reasons, firstly it’s flavour…It’s just so cheesy!  The second reason is that I was wondering why the hell yeast was being used in raw recipes! :-0  I’ve since gained a better understanding of NY and now see it as having many benefits and a worthy place in my diet, not least because of the b-vitamins it conatains.  Let me explain…

Nutritional yeast is very different from the yeast that we see used in baking, dairy and alcohol as it is completely inactive.  It is grown specifically for it’s nutritional qualities from pure strains of Saccharomyces Cerevisiae (Latin, don’t ask!!!) grown on a mixture of cane and beet molasses.

Here’s a brief description of the different types of yeast from the Red Star website.

Nutritional Yeast (Saccharomyces Cerevisiae) is a primary grown nutritional yeast grown specifically for nutritional benefits.

Active Dry Yeast is made from cream yeast.  It is a raising agent used in baking goods.

Brewers Yeast is a bitter by-product of the brewing industry that has a high nutritional profile.

Torula Yeast (Pichia Jadinii) is a by-product of the paper mill waste streams obtained by growing Pichia Jadinii on wood sugars.

Dairy Yeast or Whey Yeast (Kluyveromyce Marxianus) is obtained by growing Kluyveromyce Marxianus using cheese whey or whey permeate.

Candida Yeast Infection (Candida Albicans) is a body yeast infection. Red Star’s NY (Saccharomyces Cerevisiae) is not found to be a cause of yeast or candida infections.

Wine Yeast (Saccharomyces fermentati) is used in fermenting grapes into wine.

If you’re out in the health food shops looking for NY in the UK it’s produced by Marigold, if you’re in the US you will be able to get Red Star Nutritional Yeast.  I apologise for not knowing what brands are available in other countries but I would expect these 2 brands can be bought worldwide on the Internet.  Here is what each company has to say about their product:

120_nutritional-yeast.jpg Engevita – Marigold Nutritional Yeast Flakes.  The vegan food with a cheesy, nutty taste made from primary inactive yeast without artificial additives or preservatives.  Engevita yeast provides one of the richest sources of the B-group. It is also rich in protein, amino acids, enzymes, minerals, vitamins and trace elements.  Engevita is purely a natural food, a primary strain of Saccharomyces Cerevisiae, grown on enriched purified molasses under carefully controlled conditions.  This ensures freedom from candida albicans yeast.  This product does not contain genetically modified organisms.

60_redstaryeast.jpgRed Star Nutritional Yeast is grown specifically for its nutritive value.  In addition to protein, dietary fibre, vitamins and minerals, it contains additional functional and beneficial components such as beta-1, 3 glucan, trehalose, mannan and glutathione.  Studies have shown that these components have potential health benefits such as, improved immune response, reduction of cholesterol, and anti-cancer properties.  Red Star NY is not made from by-products of breweries, distilleries or paper mills.  Red Star NY is not a GMO and contains no added sugars or preservatives.


Don’t be surprised if you go into a major chain ‘health food’ shop and ask for NY only to be told, "Don’t you mean Brewers Yeast"…er actually no I don’t mean Brewers Yeast, otherwise I would have asked for that wouldn’t I?!!  So try the local health food shop in your area, in my experience, if they don’t have it they will order it for you.

You might still decide that NY isn’t for you and that’s great!  What we seem to be experiencing in the raw food movement more and more at the moment is people getting the information for themselves and not just saying that are going to be 100% raw, no matter what.  They are more willing to look at other things and just becoming more relaxed, realistic and less confined (as I see it).  We are seeing more gourmet raw food books using ingredients like NY and as I mentioned earlier I definitely think there’s a place for it, especially for people new to the food who are transitioning to a different lifestyle.




  • Rebecca

    Mmm that sounds like a great little recipe book you’re putting together! I’m looking forward to that one.

  • http://www.therawchefblog.com Russell James

    Thanks! I made a sweet red pepper dip a couple of nights ago that will definately be going in there! Delicious if I say so myself :-)

  • http://g2bthin.blogspot.com/ Jenny

    I am really looking forward to some raw cheese. I really miss cheese.

  • Carmella Soleil

    That cheese ebook does sound awesome! Hope I haven’t missed it…Is it still available?

  • http://therawchef.blogs.com Russell James

    Jenny: Cheese was a big thing for me to go without but I had a reason to and now I don’t miss it at all!

    Carmella: I didn’t actually get round to doing that ebook as things got a bit crazy for a while! So the good news is that you didn’t miss out.

    Keep an eye out on my blog in the New Year (when I have a place to live and work!) for all sorts of exciting things, including eboooks!

    Thank you to you both.

  • Linda Shackelford

    Do you have an approximate time of when
    any of your ebooks may be available?

  • lutiouhchom

    Hello

    As a fresh therawchefblog.com user i just want to say hello to everyone else who uses this board :>

  • Jada

    Hi,

    Is there a recipe for making cheese utilizing nutritional yeast?

  • http://www.foodingredientsfirst.com Laura

    This one’s good. I’ve been planning to treat myself to a cheesy encounter. I hope I can get much ideas in this ebook. I really love cheese.

    thanks,
    laura
    foodingredientsfirst

  • http://Google Cyndy

    Hi Russell. Is there a substitute for N.S. I have candidia and can’t have this. I love your recipes. Blessings, Cyndy

    From Russell: N.S?

  • http://www.thefakirmat.com Giggi

    Cyndy: The N.S won’t affect your Candida negative since it’s dead. Other yeasts are alive and can promote (more) Candida, but N.S won’t do that, so you can actually have your cheese without worrying :)

  • Internet Marketing Expert
  • http://www.wheyproteinshop.net whey protein

    I love to explore this article, thanks.

  • Galimir

    Saccharomyces Cerevisiae is a kind of Brewers Yeast,check up your facts.Trust me,I live in the country of the beer,Czech Republic…

  • http://www.therawchef.com Russell James

    I don’t think I’ve said anywhere in this article that Saccharomyces Cerevisiae is not a kind of brewer’s yeast.  But brewers yeast is very different from nutritional yeast by the time it becomes a product for sale to the public.

  • NEIL

    I FOUND THIS EXPLANATION ON THE NET
    “Saccharomyces” derives from Latinized Greek and means “sugar mold” or “sugar fungus”, saccharo- being the combining form “sugar-” and myces being “fungus”. Cerevisiae comes from Latin and means “of beer”.

    Nutritional yeast is a deactivated yeast, usually Saccharomyces cerevisiae.[1] The scientific work of Louis Pasteur made it possible to isolate yeast in pure culture form.[2]
    Nutritional yeast is produced by culturing the yeast with a mixture of
    sugarcane and beet molasses for a period of 7 days and then harvesting,
    washing, drying and packaging it. It is commercially available in the
    form of flakes or as a yellow powder similar in texture to cornmeal, and can be found in the bulk aisle of most natural food stores. It is popular with vegans and vegetarians and may be used as an ingredient in recipes or as a condiment.[3]

    Nutritional yeast flakes

    It is a source of protein and vitamins, especially the B-complex vitamins, and is a complete protein. It is also naturally low in fat and sodium and is free of sugar, dairy, and gluten. Some brands of nutritional yeast, though not all, are fortified with vitamin B12. When fortified, the vitamin B12 is produced separately (commonly Cyanocobalamin) and then added to the yeast.[citation needed]

    Nutritional yeast has a strong flavor that is described as nutty, cheesy, or creamy, which makes it popular as an ingredient in cheese substitutes. It is often used by vegans in place of parmesan cheese. Another popular use is as a topping for popcorn, typically paired with pickles.
    It can also be used in mashed and fried potatoes, as well as put into
    scrambled tofu or eggs. Some movie theaters offer it along with salt or cayenne pepper as a popcorn condiment.[citation needed]

    In Australia it is sometimes sold as “savoury yeast flakes.” In New
    Zealand, it has long been known as Brufax. In the United States it is
    sometimes referred to as “nooch”, or “yeshi,” an Ethiopian name meaning
    “for a thousand”. Though “nutritional yeast” usually refers to
    commercial products, inadequately fed prisoners of war have used
    “home-grown” yeast to prevent vitamin deficiency.[4] Nutritional yeast is different from yeast extract, which has a very strong flavour and comes in the form of a dark brown paste. Other strains of Saccharomyces cerevisiae are commonly used for making beer, wine, and bread.