This is the first cheese we reviewed that has shea as it main ingredient. Using shea instead of nuts may contribute to making it reasonably priced at €4.25 for 125 grams. The shea we assume is what gives it a fatty mouthfeel, similar to a camembert. At the same time, the total fat level at 21% is among the lower range of the vegan cheeses we reviewed.
The cheese ripens for several days according to the Mondarella website1, probably with the “noble mould cultures” listed in the ingredients, which results in a slightly bloomy, white rind that looks like Penicillium Camemberti to us. The taste would be in line with such a mould, since we find it to be reminiscent of earthy vegetables and mushroomy.
The ingredient for this vegan cheese do not appear to go through fermentation and the ripening is quite short. The ingredient list has quite a few additives beyond the base ingredients of water, shea and almonds: starch, carrageenan and inulin for texture, next to dextrose, salt, undefined natural aromas and apple cider vinegar for the taste.
Overall, while the look and mouthfeel is quite like camembert, we found the taste to be faint and for a cheese platter we would have liked some more ripened cheesiness.
