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An Israeli company called DairyX claims to have created a milk protein in a lab that could revolutionize dairy-free cheeses. DairyX has found a way to synthesize casein proteins, according
to its CEO, Arik Ryvkin. Caseins help give cheese that wonderful, creamy, stretchy texture when melted. “We take the casein gene from a cow and we put it into a yeast,” Ryvkin said. “This
yeast creates a protein which is identical to the protein produced by cows, but no cow was involved in the process.” The technology is part of a long-running effort to make veggie cheeses
more appealing. Dan Souza, chief content officer for America’s Test Kitchen, said there is a growing demand for better cow-free cheeses. “When you ask people if they would ever want to be
vegan, the thing that holds up a lot of people is actually cheese," Souza said. "They’re happy giving up meat but can’t give up cheese.” The problem with vegan cheese isn’t so much
taste as it is texture, Souza said. “Stretching and melting is such an important part of cheese. [When it comes to] non dairy cheeses, this is an area where everyone struggles.” Souza said
the casein protein helps cheese melt in a way “...that is really, really wonderful and pleasurable.” Think pizza or a grilled cheese sandwich, for example. But Ryvkin said it’s going to be a
couple years before the first blocks of cheese with lab-grown proteins make it to your kitchen. In the meantime, Souza recommends trying vegan options, which he said have have come a long
way. The best veggie cheeses are made with cashews, Souza said. They’re rich and creamy and he added, “We’ve tested some bries that are really good copies of a solid supermarket brie.”
America’s Test kitchen has some recommendations. If you want something that melts well, Souza said there are several shredded vegan cheeses that are quite good. “They’ve really figured out
how to get the stretch [but not quite] like you would get with real cheese, but definitely better,” he said. One way to get the texture even closer is to combine an imitation cheese with
other ingredients. The Test kitchen has a recipe for a vegan nacho dip that uses potatoes to create a more cheesy consistency. For now, you have to choose between cow-free cheeses that melt
right or taste right. But either way your options are pretty….. gouda. _Olivia Hampton edited the audio version of this story._ Copyright 2024 NPR