Cashew mozzarella (raw?, organic?)

Cashew mozzarella is available organically and is a plant-based alternative to traditional mozzarella made from cow's milk or buffalo milk. Cashew nuts are rarely really raw, which is why we question this in the case of vegan cheese.

Use in the kitchen

Mozzarella is one of the most popular types of cheese and an integral part of Italian cuisine. The cheese, which is usually made from cow's milk, has a mild, fresh taste and a creamy texture. The trend towards plant-based nutrition has contributed to the development of numerous cheese alternatives. ¹ Vegan versions of mozzarella exist based on soy, oils and various nuts, including cashews.

Can you eat cashew-based plant-based mozzarella raw? The plant-based substitute is most commonly used, true to the original, as a pizza topping or in raw form, combined with fresh tomatoes and basil in an Italian starter salad (Insalata Caprese). The mozzarella substitute can also be used in a variety of ways in a vegan Caprese pasta salad, which can be spiced up with pine nuts, to top a vegan vegetable lasagne with dishes containing tomatoes, zucchini, bell peppers and onions, or in various pasta dishes. It can also be fried or, sliced, eaten raw as a bread topping. The plant-based cashew-based mozzarella is also very easy to make yourself.

There

How can you make your own vegan mozzarella? are various ways to make your own (vegan) mozzarella. You usually use silken tofu or cashews, combined with psyllium husks (see preparation below). Psyllium husks are the tender shells of the seeds of various types of plantain. The polysaccharides (flosine mucilage polysaccharides) naturally contained in the shells can bind more than 50 times their water content and act as a gelling agent. Psyllium husks are used in raw vegan cuisine as a thickening and binding agent. It is important to only use the shells of the psyllium seeds and not whole seeds. The whole seeds gel in water, but the consistency is not sufficient. Gelling is even better if you use ground psyllium husks.

Why is my vegan mozzarella yellow? The yeast flakes give the plant-based mozzarella its cheesy taste and are also responsible for its color. Yellow vegan mozzarella is made from American yeast flakes, which are colored yellow by added B vitamins. In Europe, however, the yeast flakes are more grayish, which is why this effect is not achieved.

Ingredients (for one ball, approx. 300 g): 80 g cashews, 200 ml water, 2 tbsp psyllium husks (ground), 2 tbsp lemon juice, 1 tbsp yeast flakes, 1 pinch of salt .

Preparation: Soak the cashews in a bowl of water for two hours. Allow the ground psyllium husks to swell in a separate bowl with 200 ml of water for the same amount of time. Then pour the soaking water off the cashews and puree all the ingredients in a blender until you get a uniform, chunk-free mixture. Then pour the mixture into a suitable bowl, the shape of which will determine the appearance of the vegan mozzarella. Then place in the fridge for 2-3 hours to achieve the desired consistency.

Vegan recipe for Insalata Caprese, with plant-based mozzarella

Ingredients (for 4 people): 250 g vegan mozzarella (cashew-based, organic), 600 g tomatoes (washed, deseeded and sliced), 30 ml water, 30 ml balsamic vinegar, 90 ml olive oil (healthier: rapeseed oil ), 15 ml maple syrup, 1 pinch of salt, a pinchof black pepper, fresh basil (for the topping).

Preparation: Cut the vegan mozzarella into slices and arrange in a circle on two flat plates together with the sliced tomatoes. For the vinaigrette, put the water, balsamic vinegar, oil and maple syrup in a small bowl and mix. Season with salt and pepper. Spread the vinaigrette evenly over both plates. Finally, garnish the vegan Insalata Caprese with fresh basil leaves and enjoy immediately.

Vegan recipes with cashew mozzarella can be found under the note: " Recipes that have the most of this ingredient ".

Purchasing - Storage

Plant-based mozzarella is available online, and sometimes also from major retailers such as Coop, Migros, Denner, Volg, Spar, Aldi, Lidl, Rewe, Edeka, Hofer and Billa, and in organic quality has long been available from organic supermarkets such as Denn's Biomarkt and Alnatura . In addition to cashews, wholegrain rice, almonds, soy and coconut oil are also used as a base. Vegan mozzarella is also available in grated form.

Cashew nuts and cashew products are usually no longer raw. To ensure that cashew nuts and processed products made from them can be consumed safely, the nuts undergo a heating and roasting process to render the toxin "cardol" contained in the shell harmless. You can find more information about this in our articles on cashew nuts, raw? organic? and cashew nuts, roasted, unsalted . We cannot say with certainty whether there really is a method by which you can cold-crack cashew nuts and thus obtain raw cashew nuts. In addition, there are still no official guidelines or legislation for raw food. Raw food labels, standards and certifications are currently still organized in smaller associations and require a great deal of trust from customers.

Vegetable mozzarella from the supermarket is hardly ever raw and is pasteurized for a longer shelf life. It can also contain additives such as acidifiers and various thickeners (including locust bean gum, gum arabic, xanthan, agar-agar, sodium alginate, etc.).

The availability of cashew-based plant-based mozzarella varies depending on the size of the store, catchment area, etc. You can find our recorded food prices for the DA-CH countries above under the ingredient image - and by clicking you can see their development at various suppliers.

Storage tips

Homemade vegan mozzarella alternatives can be kept in the fridge for a few days if they are sealed airtight. They can also be frozen for a longer shelf life. Purchased products should be consumed quickly after opening.

Ingredients - Nutritional Values - Calories

Cashew-based vegetable mozzarella contains 153 kcal/100g. Looking at the mozzarella ingredients, 12 g/100g are fats, 13 g/100g are carbohydrates and 5.4 g/100g are proteins. ²

The main ingredients of cashew mozzarella are cashews and psyllium husks . Cashews contain the amino acid tryptophan as well as micronutrients such as phosphorus, magnesium and potassium . They also have a high content of vitamin E, vitamin K and bioactive compounds such as phenols and flavonoids, ³ but have an unfavorable ratio of around 130:1 between the pro-inflammatory omega-6 fatty acids and the anti-inflammatory omega-3 fatty acids . ² As a fiber-rich plant-based swelling agent, psyllium husks aid digestion. Thefiber content is around 80%. They also contain a lot of copper, manganese, magnesium and phosphorus. ²

The following three mozzarella nutrients are worth mentioning:

Vegan mozzarella made from cashews contains thiamine (vitamin B₁ ) : 0.52 mg/100g provides 47% of the daily requirement. Thiamine is mainly found in the outer layer of grains and is also found in high quantities in yeast flakes (41 mg/100g). Nuts and pulses are also good sources of thiamine, e.g. Brazil nuts (0.62 mg/100g) or pecans (0.66 mg/100g). ²

Cashew mozzarella contains 0.08 g/100g of tryptophan (31% of the daily requirement). This amino acid is considered a precursor of various messenger substances (neurotransmitters, hormones), such as serotonin and melatonin. Serotonin - the happiness hormone - has a mood-enhancing effect. The body produces melatonin from serotonin. Its release regulates the day-night rhythm and promotes sleep. Good sources of tryptophan are seeds, legumes and spices, such as soybeans (0.59 g/100g) or sesame seeds (3.9 g/100g). Chia also contains high amounts (0.44 g/100g). ²

The mozzarella alternative has a manganese content of 0.56 mg/100g (28% of the daily requirement). This essential trace element plays a special role in carbohydrate metabolism and connective tissue. Larger amounts are found in wheat germ (13 mg/100g), hazelnuts (6.2 mg/100g) or dried pumpkin seeds (4.5 mg/100g). ²

You can find all the ingredients of Cashew Mozzarella, the coverage of the daily requirement and comparison values with other ingredients in our nutrient tables. In the article Nutrients explained you will get a detailed insight into the topic.

Effects on health

Only a few studies have so far examined the effects on health and the nutrient profile of plant-based cheese alternatives. Since health reasons are also crucial for a plant-based diet, ⁴ this aspect deserves special attention.

Producers of plant-based alternatives strive to ensure that their products resemble the "originals" in terms of nutritional profile, taste, texture and appearance, and that calcium, magnesium and vitamin D deficiencies are compensated for by appropriate fortification. ⁵ A large-scale study conducted in the USA evaluated 245 different dairy-free cheese alternatives available in the USA for their nutritional content and compared them with each other and with their animal "counterparts". The plant-based cheeses examined were based on coconut oil, cashews and coconut, oats, almonds, soy, palm oil and blends. The coconut oil-based products examined showed the highest concentration of saturated fatty acids and the poorest nutrient profile. Only a few of the products evaluated were classified as reasonable sources of protein and calcium . Pure cashew-based products performed best, showing the highest protein content and the lowest sodium and saturated fatty acids. ¹

A Spanish study came to similar conclusions and found that plant-based cheese alternatives based on cashews or tofu had a nutritional advantage over conventional cheese made from animal milk. The researchers argued that plant-based alternatives had less salt and total fat and thus contained more unsaturated fatty acids . ⁶ A reduced intake of saturated fatty acids and a simultaneous intake of polyunsaturated fatty acids led to a reduction in LDL cholesterol in the blood and thus a reduced risk of cardiovascular disease. ⁷

Secondary plant substances

Cashew nuts contain secondary plant substances. ²⁵ In our opinion, it is difficult to assess how these substances affect health in highly processed cashew mozzarella.

Our article on secondary plant substances provides an overview of the classification of substance groups, their occurrence in foods and possible effects on humans.

Dangers - Intolerances - Side effects

Is cashew mozzarella healthy or unhealthy? Some people, often children, can react to eating cashews with a nut allergy. ¹¹ Cashews also have a high proportion of omega-6 fatty acids (LA) and a low proportion of omega-3 fatty acids (ALA) . ² The Western diet is characterized by a high proportion of omega-6 and a low proportion of omega-3 fatty acids. ⁸ Too much omega-6 fatty acids and a very high omega-6/omega-3 ratio promote the development of numerous diseases, such as cardiovascular diseases, cancer, and inflammatory and autoimmune diseases. Omega-3 fatty acids, on the other hand, counteract these developments. ⁹ Omega-6-rich seeds, nuts, vegetable oils and products made from them are not bad for human health per se. However, they should be consumed in moderation and at the same time sufficient omega-3 fatty acids should be consumed.

The intake of omega-6 fatty acids is significantly higher in vegans and vegetarians than in omnivores. The ratio varies depending on the study. As a rule, the ratio of omega-6 to omega-3 fatty acids is considered to be higher in vegans (< 14:1-20:1) and lacto-vegetarians (< 10:1-16:1) compared to omnivores (< 10:1). ¹⁰ A high consumption of cashews, peanuts, hazelnuts, almonds, sunflower seeds and vegetable oils can lead to this ratio and promote all kinds of inflammatory processes in the long term.

We can only warn: vegans and vegetarians who are misinformed or uninformed generally live worse than normal eaters - and a study is sure to come out that will ruthlessly expose this (see link in the box above). This can stop the vegan hype that is so important for animal welfare and the environment and discredit the oriented minority. This has been our fear since 2014! See this link to see what happened with raw food: The Giessen Raw Food Study .

Since the receptors for the pro-inflammatory LA (omega-6 fatty acids) and the anti-inflammatory ALA (omega-3 fatty acids) are the same, a ratio of at least 5:1 (LA:ALA) is desirable. Instead of a ratio, the Federal Nutrition Commission ( EEK ) now recommends absolute intake amounts. For example, you should consume polyunsaturated fatty acids in an amount of 2.5-9% (omega-6 fatty acids) or 0.5-2% (omega-3 fatty acids) of your daily energy requirement. This corresponds to a maximum of 20 g per 2000 kcal (omega-6 fatty acids) or 1-4.4 g per 2000 kcal (omega-3 fatty acids). ⁷

Erb-Müesli or Erb-Müesli plus oat flakes have an ideal composition in the ratio of LA to ALA of 1:1. In the list of ingredients, select "sorting by health values" to be able to filter healthy ingredients - or those that correct an unfavorable ratio. The same applies to the recipes, e.g. with the LA:ALA ratio criterion.

Ecological footprint - animal welfare

Despite extensive research, we were unable to find any data on the CO ₂ footprint and water footprint of cashew mozzarella. However, we were able to track down a company-related source that gives us an impression of the ecological footprint of cashew mozzarella. Eaternity calculated the CO ₂ footprint of a Swiss company that produces vegan cheese for their cashew camembert with ingredients from controlled organic farming. The cheese (120 g) had a global warming potential of 323 g CO ₂ ; converted, this works out to 2.69 kg CO ₂ eq/kg. ¹⁷ This is a small footprint compared to camembert of animal origin, with 14.69 kg CO ₂ eq/kg. ¹⁸ Dairy cheese generally has a CO 2 eq/kg of 5.33-16.35 kg CO ₂ eq/kg. ¹⁹ The few sources we could find on vegan cheese (with different ingredients) showed values far below this (2.5-3.2 kg CO ₂ eq/kg). ¹⁸

The water footprint of buffalo mozzarella is approximately 6820 ± 1490 l/kg. ²⁰ The authors Aldaya and Hoekstra also came up with a similar footprint of 7117 l/kg. The water footprint is mainly due to the water used to produce the cows' feed. ²² Unfortunately, we were unable to find out how much water is needed to produce cashew mozzarella; however, cashew nuts need 14,218 l/kg. ²¹ That is an enormous water footprint and comparable to that of one of the most water-intensive foods, beef, at 15,415 l/kg. ²³

The _CO2 footprint of a food product depends on various factors. The type of agricultural production (conventional vs. organic), seasonal, regional, domestic production or import by truck, ship or plane (!), different types of packaging and whether the product is fresh or frozen all play a decisive role.

For detailed explanations of various sustainability indicators (such as ecological footprint, _CO2 footprint, water footprint), see our article: What does the ecological footprint mean?

Animal welfare - species protection

How is mozzarella made? Classic mozzarella is made from cow's milk, but in the past it was often made from buffalo milk. To obtain the desired fibrous structure and consistency, the soured curd is kneaded in hot water. This process is now mostly carried out using industrial and automated processes. ¹²

However, cows only produce milk when they give birth to a calf. On the one hand, this means that humans separate the calf and mother cow after birth in order to be able to claim the milk for themselves. On the other hand, the dairy cow is inseminated again after birth so that it can produce plenty of milk again as quickly as possible. The psychological and physical stress that both the dairy cow and her calf suffer from this process is enormous and difficult to imagine. ¹³ The milk of water buffaloes is used as the basis for the production of "Mozzarella di Bufala" - buffalo mozzarella. As with dairy cows, they often suffer from inappropriate living conditions without access to pasture or water holes. Male buffalo calves in particular are seen as a waste product in this industry because they cannot produce milk and there is hardly any demand for their meat. This means that the calves are often left to fend for themselves, locked up in dirty pens, killed or disposed of illegally. ¹⁴

The mozzarella alternative, together with other plant-based substitutes, makes a significant contribution to reducing animal suffering.

Unfortunately, tropical crops such as the cashew tree ( Anacardium occidentale ) have received little attention in terms of socio-ecological research, despite continued expansion in areas with high biodiversity. In a review study, researchers took a closer look at the few studies on this topic. In nine studies, a decrease in species richness of 4 to 84% was observed in cashew plantations, compared to reference areas. Assuming an increase in cashew production, the associated land use change could pose a serious threat to biodiversity. ²⁴

Worldwide Occurrence - Cultivation

The increasing acceptance of veganism, especially among millennials, has greatly boosted the market growth of vegan cheese. Increasing awareness of animal cruelty and the negative environmental impacts caused by the dairy industry are encouraging consumers to choose plant-based products. Countries producing plant-based cheese alternatives, including mozzarella, are the USA, Germany, the UK, France, China, Japan and Brazil. Vegan mozzarella cheese had the largest sales share of over 30% in 2021 and is expected to maintain its lead during the forecast period up to 2030. Demand for mozzarella is particularly high in countries where Italian cuisine is popular. Europe accounted for the largest sales share of vegan cheese alternatives in 2021, at more than 35%. In addition, experts estimate the Asia-Pacific region to be the fastest growing regional market, with China, Japan and Australia contributing the most to growth. Cashew-based cheese accounted for the largest share of sales in 2021, accounting for more than 35%. ¹⁵

You can find more information about growing cashew nuts in this article.

Industrial production

The harvesting and production of cashews sometimes takes place under conditions that are hazardous to health. Here we refer to the article on cashews and the video on the production of cashew nuts . Today, however, the manual production steps are increasingly being replaced by fully automated processes. The industrial production of cashew mozzarella differs depending on the supplier and varies depending on the ingredients actually added. In principle, however, the main steps in the production process are no different from making it yourself. In addition to soaking the nuts, mixing all the ingredients and heating the mixture to thicken it, the only other steps are packaging and distribution.

Further information

The term "mozzarella" comes from Italian and is the diminutive form of "mozza", which means fresh cheese. ¹⁶ What is the name of the cheese similar to mozzarella? "Burrata", also an Italian fresh cheese, looks like mozzarella, but has a liquid core. It is also referred to as a precursor to mozzarella.

In the Middle East, a type of cheese similar to mozzarella is very popular. The brine cheese made from cow's, sheep's or goat's milk is called "Akkawi".

Alternative names

Cashew mozzarella is called the same in English as in German and is generally referred to as "cashew mozzarella" or "cashew mozzarella cheese".