Daiya Vegan "Cheese"

Daiya is a vegan cheese substitute that is making inroads into restaurants and stores. It's big distinction is that instead of soy or rice or the usual bases, Daiya uses tapioca* and/or arrowroot flours. They claim that this makes it unusually allergen-free.

What is Daiya?
Daiya is a revolutionary new dairy-free vegan cheese that tastes, shreds, melts and stretches like dairy based cheese. Daiya is not made with casein, the protein found in dairy products or soy, common to many other non-dairy cheese alternatives. In fact, Daiya does not contain any common allergens, animal products or cholesterol. Daiya is made with nutritious planted-based ingredients and is:

▪ 33% less fat than dairy-based cheese with equivalent[sic] attributes
▪ Cholesterol free
▪ Trans Fat free
▪ Dairy free
▪ Free of all animal products (Vegan and Parve)
▪ Free of common allergens including:
▪ Soy, Casein, Lactose, Gluten, Egg, Wheat, Barley, Corn, Whey, Rice, and Nuts
▪ Free of Artificial Ingredients
▪ Free of Preservatives
▪ Free of Hormones & Antibiotics
▪ An excellent source of a naturally occurring vegan vitamin B-12 as well as an excellent source of B vitamins in general

The pizza chain is adding Daiya cheese to its menu to complement its gluten-free crusts.

You can also buy it at selected Whole Foods stores as well as online. Check their where to find Daiya page.

*UPDATE: That used to say cassava flour but the ingredients now [11/27/2011] say that tapioca flour is used instead.