Friday, October 30, 2015

Kite Hill Vegan Brie!

I have been wanting to talk about Kite Hill's vegan brie cheese for awhile. So, today is the day!
First off, for anyone wondering, I believe Kite Hill products are sold exclusively through Whole Foods. So, you know what I'm going to say next. Super expensive.  I would also like to admit that I am a total sell-out. I don't like the price of Kite Hill products, and I don't like that they're only sold at Whole Foods. It feels like a food that peasants like me aren't really supposed to have. So, those are my gripes, let's get on to the good stuff!
Here is the outside of the wheel. It's packaged like super fancy cheese and everything! Sorry for the yogurt in the picture. This is from a haul.
It has a rind on it that is eerily similar to dairy brie. In case you do go to Whole Foods to try it, it is the only vegan cheese sold in the fancy cheese section with the people, and the cheeses that cost more than my life!
The guy who worked with the cheeses told me that the rind is exactly like brie. He said that overall, he liked it, although it wasn't exactly like brie. It was enough of an endorsement coming from a non vegan to try it. It is smooth and creamy like I remember brie to be. It is a little springier due to lower fat, but it will spread on a cracker or a piece of bread just fine.
It has that smooth, creamy, kind of fatty taste on your tongue that brie has. My first time trying brie was at some really popular restaurant in downtown Seattle that I used to go to after work. Me, and all of the punk rock bouncers would stroll in, and class the place up a bit. (HA) Anyway, they had this warm brie that came with a raspberry sauce on top, and it was served with crust bread and crackers. It was to die for. I never order the same thing twice, but this was an exception to the rule for sure. I really should have recreated that dish. But I ate all of this brie with crackers, or plain.
The ingredient list is probably the shortest of all vegan cheese. Almond milk, salt, enzymes, and culture.
This is the fancy cheese vegans who like fancy cheese have been waiting for. I can picture a beautiful day where the weather is perfect, and you have a friend or date night, and you set out a beautiful huge platter with fancy olives, some almonds, and other nuts, fancy crackers, maybe an assortment of breads, Cornichons(never pickles) and a wheel of this cheese.
I've now tasted two flavors of Kite Hill's yogurt, and this brie, and Kite Hill is definitely putting out a quality product. Unfortunately these can't be things I buy on the regular, and I wonder how many people actually can.
So, the good- creamy, spreadable, the rind is exactly like brie, making for a very realistic experience.
The bad- the price is unrealistic, and it's sold exclusively through Whole Foods.
Have you, or will you try any Kite Hill products?


6 comments:

  1. Yeah I always wonder who can or does buy some of these fancy vegan cheeses on a daily basis? I mean, I still think of daiya as a spurge. But I do get it, especially with the draught in California, almonds are expensive. And these companies are using a lot of them to make their products. And they are so much more expensive because dairy gets government funding. But I haven't tried any of the Kite Hill cheeses, just the yogurt. I probably will get one for xmas, as my family are big cheese people.

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  2. I know I was thinking that as I was writing this how daiya and Chao are splurges for me! The cheese is totally worth it, and to be honest I forgot all about the drought and the price of almonds and all that. They have some other soft cheeses too that look really good. If your family likes brie, I would try this with them. It's pretty amazing how similar it is!

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  3. The well known vegan chef tal ronnan (maybe I spelled it wrong!) is the brain behind this- its the first vegan cheese sold commercially that has the same culturing and enzymes and method as dairy cheeses.
    And yeah, the stuff is freaking amazing!! Definitely a splurge but i'm also thinking it will make a great hostess gift for the holidays-aka how i introduce omnis to vegan foods they would never try and then end up loving :)
    Ttrockwood

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    1. Although I am against the high cost and exclusiveness, I agree that it is amazing, and I feel like it is the safest bet to please non-vegans. The appearance and taste are spot on, and the ingredient list is so simple. Replace dairy with almond milk and that's it!

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  4. I would be willing to pay beaucoup bucks if it was like the real thing. You are so lucky you got to try it.

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  5. It is so close to the real thing it's eerie. Maybe it will be a holiday gift to myself, and I'll bake it with some raspberry sauce and try to recreate that dish. Like I've been saying, the cost makes me cringe, but unlike some pricey things this is truly worth it.

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