Yesterday, I went out for lunch with some of the ladies from the school gate. Very nice too, but I couldn't help viewing their lunches with envy!! They were having pizza. I was stuck with the only gluten and dairy free dish on the menu, which was, pretty bland and tasteless! Good job I went for the company and not for the food, then!
So today (still suffering from pizza-envy), when I spotted this little cheese tucked away at the back of the fridge, in Holland and Barrett, I was pretty chuffed!
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| Violife Mozzarella cheese comes packed in slices! |
I'd already stashed a gluten and dairy free pizza base from Sainsbury's away in my cupboard the other day, and I was gagging for it! I just couldn't wait to get home, rip the packet off and tear that cheese onto some pizza.
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| Keeping it simple with mushrooms and black olives. |
So how did we get on?
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| 'Scuse the foil - I was trying to save on the washing up! |
What's it like?
Violife's Mozzarella cheese comes in a packet containing ten slices. They are pretty well stuck together, so a sharp knife is needed to carefully separate them. It tears quite easily and does seem to melt quite nicely - without the thin crust I've found when I've melted most of the other Violife cheeses. So far, so good! I think it would have melted a little better, given even longer in the oven, but the other toppings on the pizza were beginning to look like they needed rescuing, so out the pizza had to come!
Flavourwise, you definitely get a lovely cheesy hit from this mozzarella and it seems to have that lovely creamy, melty mozzarella texture that you'd hope for - something that surprised me, as the cheese didn't look that melted.
In terms of flavour, I'd have to say that although I've enjoyed the Violife Original on toast, the Violife creamy on crackers and the Violife Pizza in a Bechamel-type sauce, in a lasagna, this one is my definite favourite and gets a BIG thumbs-up from me! Previously, I've enjoyed the Mozzarisella dairy free cheese, which had a great melt and creamy texture, but not as much flavour as this one!
Flavourwise, you definitely get a lovely cheesy hit from this mozzarella and it seems to have that lovely creamy, melty mozzarella texture that you'd hope for - something that surprised me, as the cheese didn't look that melted.
In terms of flavour, I'd have to say that although I've enjoyed the Violife Original on toast, the Violife creamy on crackers and the Violife Pizza in a Bechamel-type sauce, in a lasagna, this one is my definite favourite and gets a BIG thumbs-up from me! Previously, I've enjoyed the Mozzarisella dairy free cheese, which had a great melt and creamy texture, but not as much flavour as this one!
What's in it?
Violife Mozzarella Ingredients:
Water, Coconut Oil (23%), Modified Starch, Sea Salt, Mozzarella Vegan Flavour, Polyphenols, Colour: b-carotene
On the face of it, the ingredient list looks simple enough, but, as usual, Violife are using their mysterious 'vegan flavour' again. If you're Vegan or only dealing with the fourteen major allergens, I would guess (under the recent EU law) you're safe, but I've no idea what this might mean for anyone with some of the more unusual allergies, like peppers, for example!
If the coconut in this cheese isn't for you, for whatever reason, you might like to try Mozzarisella cheese, which is also dairy and soya free, but not so nearly as easy to get hold of as this one!
If the coconut in this cheese isn't for you, for whatever reason, you might like to try Mozzarisella cheese, which is also dairy and soya free, but not so nearly as easy to get hold of as this one!
Where can it be bought?
I bought Violife's Mozzarella from Holland and Barrett. That said, not all Holland and Barretts might stock it. However, I've sometimes found that if the one nearest you doesn't stock something, the store in the next town nearest to you just might!
I'm guessing some independent health food shops might also stock this one, but I haven't seen it in mine so far - although they do stock the Pizza and Creamy with Herbs versions.
I don't think you'll find the Mozzarella version in any of the major supermarkets just yet, although I know that both larger Tescos and Asdas now stock Violife Original and Violife Creamy.
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| How fab that these Violife Originals can now be found in local supermarkets! |
How much?
Well I spent £2.99 on a 200g packet of the Mozzarella. But I enjoyed it so much that I didn't begrudge a penny - especially as they're currently buy one get one half price in Holland and Barrett! Actually, I'm quite tempted to go back tomorrow and stock up on some more, as, if they're kept unopened in the fridge, they have quite a long shelf life! In fact, this packet isn't due up until mid-September, this year - that's seven whole months away!
They're the same price online at Alternative Stores, although obviously you'll pay extra package and posting there - they deliver pretty quickly though, and from the looks of it, you can also buy larger packs, should you so wish, which are £5.50 for double the amount!
The only thing with Alternative Stores is that you'll have so much choice - not just of dairy free cheese, but also chocolate, among other things, that you may well end up spending more than you'd bargained for ;)
New Cheese on the Block - Mozzarisella
An Alternative to Cheese and Alternative Stores
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